Wicked
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: "They sent a kitten into the lion's den?" She hears a velvety voice ask from behind her. That was how it all started. Hinata was the medic in charge of Sasuke's recovery. His mind had become twisted, even wicked. She had expected him to lash out at her. What Hinata hadn't expected was for him to seduce her into helping him with his second goal. Sometimes being bad could be fun.
1. Chapter 1

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** This is a Sasuke x Hinata story that will be set after the war. One of my regular reviewers requested a darker Sasuke. It will be a fine line between keeping him dark, but not so dark that it makes him a completely loathsome character that everyone wants killed. Reviews are always appreciated and I hope you enjoy this story.

 **Chapter Notation:** Warning this is a **dark story.** The first chapter was somewhat light, but the story will get darker as it goes on. I only write happy endings for the main characters, but this isn't going to sweet like my normal stories. **It is going to diverge radically from cannon.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.

Chapter One

"Hinata, I don't think that's a very good idea. I know you want to help, but Sasuke is a special case. It's difficult for anyone to adjust to a limb transplant, but I wouldn't feel safe leaving you alone with him." Sakura says.

Hinata knew that Sakura meant well. Her friend was only looking out for her safety, but damn it! She was a ninja. She was a Jonin! Hinata wasn't weak and besides, who else was going to do it?

"Sakura, I know that you are just worried about me. I appreciate it, but I don't think it's a good idea for you or Lady Tsunade to conduct his physical therapy. I know you are professionals, but he's never going to view either of you as a neutral party." The Hyuga Heiress says.

The pink haired woman bit her lower lip. As much as she hated to admit it, Hinata was right. She didn't exactly know what her feelings were for Sasuke anymore, but they definitely weren't neutral.

Sasuke and Hinata had never even spoken to each other. So he wouldn't have a reason to go out of his way to provoke her during therapy. (Well at least no more of a reason than he would for anyone else.)

"You're right. Tsunade and I will be right upstairs. If you need ANYTHING, don't hesitate to call out for help. I'm just not sure you know what you are getting yourself into. He fought with us against Madara, but that doesn't mean he's a good guy. That could have been just self-preservation." Sakura points out.

"I know and I won't hesitate to call out for help, if I need it." Hinata promises as she heads to the very bottom level of the hospital.

It hadn't been used in years. Really, it was impressive how quickly they had made it fully operational. This floor was for Sasuke. Tsunade had decided it wouldn't be a good idea to let the other patients know that Sasuke was seeking treatment.

The ninja war was both in awe and fear of Naruto and Sasuke. While most of the ninja world looked at the boisterous blonde as a savior, they weren't quite sure what to make of Sasuke. He had helped them during the final battle, but no one was exactly sure why. Privately, Hinata didn't think even Sasuke knew why he had.

"Sasuke?" She calls out softly and looks around warily.

The only reason he wasn't restrained is because his chakra supply had been utterly exhausted during the final battle and he had just received the arm transplant only a few days before. So he was on a lot of pain killers. Still, Hinata wasn't stupid. An animal was at their most dangerous when they were wounded.

He might not be ready to fire off a Chidori anytime soon, but he was still a skilled Taijutsu user. His hands alone were perfectly lethal weapons. Well at least one of them was. It would take him awhile to get used to new limb.

"They sent a kitten into the lion's den?" She hears a velvety voice ask from behind her.

Hinata's eyes widen. Oh that was not good. He was aware enough that he was able to sneak up on her. She should have had her Byakugan activated, so he would have had a harder time doing that. She had decided against doing that because Sasuke would take it as a "threat."

"I'm not a kitten and they didn't send me here. I volunteered. Good morning, Sasuke. How are you feeling?" She asks as she turns around to face him.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He barely knew Hinata. Still from what little he did know of her, she was anything but a liar. If she said that she volunteered to see him, the Hyuga Heiress was likely telling the truth.

He had expected Sakura or Tsunade. They were skilled medics and two of only a handful of people, that might be able to restrain him. As much as he was loathed to admit it, his chakra supply was dangerously low at the moment and the pain killers had slowed his reflexes for the time being. They would have had the advantage. He hadn't expected the Hyuga Princess though.

"Confused." He replies simply and circles her in a way that reminded Hinata of a shark encircling a seal.

His cryptic answer wasn't exactly calming her nerves. Hinata wasn't stupid. She was dealing with a very dangerous ninja. Sasuke was no Naruto. She had no idea how he would behave in any given situation.

"The medication can be a little disorientating, especially at the high dosage that you were given. That will go away." Hinata assures him.

"I'm not confused because of side effects. I'm confused about why you volunteered to come here." Sasuke says.

It was true. Hinata had no reason to seek him out. This was actually the longest conversation that they had ever had. From her perspective, she was likely risking her life. The Hyuga woman had no idea if he was going to snap or not. So her choice baffled him.

"Oh good. I came because you need someone who can administer your treatment without being biased. Tsunade and Sakura are professionals, but it would be almost impossible for all of you to focus purely on the therapy and not on the past." Came Hinata's reply.

She was relieved that she hadn't stuttered so far. Over the years, it had gradually decreased. Now Hinata had almost entirely outgrown it.

That was a very good thing in this case. She imagined Sasuke would react to a stutter like an animal that smelled blood. He'd see it as a weakness and go in for the metaphorical kill. (At least she hoped it was metaphorical.)

"That's very perceptive of you." He admits as he looks her up and down.

He had never really looked at her before. Oh he had certainly seen her sitting in the back of the Academy. Sasuke had just never really spent much time looking at her. He had no reason.

She wasn't going to help him kill Itachi or hinder his ability to do so. Unlike his admirers, she wasn't annoying. Hinata never forced her presence on him. So it was easy to consider her just part of the background. If he noticed her at all, it was an afterthought.

"Thank you. Well you are walking around and coherent. We should probably get started." Hinata says and offers him a shy smile.

 _Beautiful._ As a kid, she had been cute in an awkward way. The Hyuga had definitely grown out of that phrase. Now she was a woman in every respect.

Her hair reminded him of his mother's. It was long and silky. Though her tresses were midnight blue, whereas his mother's had been the color of a raven's feathers. The color and texture gave the impression gave off a cascading effect that reminded Sasuke of a waterfall.

"What did you have in mind?" He asks.

Sasuke had always thought Hyuga eyes were like glaciers. Beautiful, in a cold way. Her eyes were not cold. Lavender orbs showed her every thought on her face with startling clarity and were framed by long lashes. Right now, she was nervous and trying not to show it.

She had classical facial features. Soft and feminine. Utterly unthreatening. That's when he made the mistake of allowing his eyes to wander south. She was wearing a medic uniform. But that did not hide the fact that Hinata's body type was decidedly more voluptuous than the average female ninja's was. Most female ninjas tended to be lean and willowy. There were exceptions like Tsunade, but overall that was the general trend.

"You're going to cooperate?" Hinata asks in a stunned voice.

"For now. I despise this village, but I do need gain full control of my arm. Besides, I'm not going to spit on his sacrifices." Sasuke replies.

Hinata hadn't expected him to cooperate. Well at least not that easy. The Hyuga Heiress was pretty sure sooner or later, his desire to have complete control of his body would win out over his desire to be difficult. So this was a surprise.

The bluenette wanted to ask who he was and what sacrifices, but she resisted the urge. Sasuke was actually going to be a cooperative patient for the moment. She wasn't going to risk unwittingly provoking him into a rage.

"Well first, I'll undo your bandages and have a look." She says.

"It might be easier if you took off your shirt. So I can see how it lined up with your shoulder." Hinata suggests.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He certainly never would have expected Hinata Hyuga of all people to ask him to undress, even if it was only partially. He tugs off his shirt with his good arm and watches as she slowly undid the bandages.

Hinata felt her face heating up. She knew that sounded more scandalous than it was meant to. Still she was relieved that other than the eyebrow, he hadn't protested and she wasn't entirely certain that counted as a protest.

"Well it is still swollen, but that's expected. Overall, I'd say that the transplant was a success." She informs him as she glances at his arm and more.

Sasuke was a dangerous animal, but there was no denying he was a beautiful one. She knew what kind of carnage that he was capable of. Hinata wasn't an idiot. The fact that he had a well sculpted chest, broad shoulders, and nice biceps didn't change that. It wasn't that she was trying to ogle him, she just wasn't blind.

"Good." He says simply.

"So no pain then?" She asks.

Sasuke shakes his head. He was on too many drugs for that to be a possibility at the moment. Physical pain wasn't the issue.

"No physical pain." He states.

"What about emotional?" Hinata asks as she gives him new bandages.

Sasuke smirks. She was a really brave kitten to ask that. Hinata was still clearly shy, she was flustered over him being shirtless. He could tell that much. But she still managed to ask him questions, that most people would never dare ask.

"I don't think you really want to know what goes on inside my head. If you did, you'd run away screaming." Sasuke informs her.

"Sasuke, don't try to scare me off. If you were going to attack me, you would have done it by n-ow." She stammers.

Ah ha! So the stutter hadn't disappeared. She must have just learned how to control it. For some reason, he felt rather smug at the knowledge that he could make her stutter. Maybe it was some childish subconscious urge to compete with Naruto, he muses to himself.

"How long before I can use this arm fully?" He asks.

What she said was true. He didn't really have any intention of attacking her. His rage was great, but it wasn't a blind rage. Hinata had nothing to do with what happened to Itachi. He didn't have a reason to lash out at the Hyuga Princess. Not yet anyway.

"It's going to take some time. It depends how much effort you put into your therapy." Hinata replies.

"Alright." Sasuke responds.

"Try flexing your arm. Just once. Probably a good idea to go slowly." The bluenette informs him.

Sasuke nods. He tries to flex his arm. His eyes immediately shut tight in pain and he grimaces. Fuck!

"Pain is expected at first. Would you like me to go get you some more pain killers?" She asks.

Sasuke shakes his head. Hell no. He wasn't going to ask for more and look weak. There was no way that was going to happen.

"I'm fine." He lies through his gritted teeth, trying to stubborn through the agony that was currently tormenting him.

"Alright. If you are sure, I'll go inform Lady Tsunade that you are being a good patient." She says with a smile and heads off.

She knew that he was lying. Sasuke was Sasuke though. If he wanted to pretend he wasn't in agony, there wasn't much point in arguing with him about it.

"Lady Tsunade, I just saw Sasuke. He's being unexpectedly cooperative." Hinata tells her as she enters the busty blonde's office a few minutes later.

She blinks when she saw the security cameras. They were positioned to watch the lower floor. Hinata supposed she should have expected it really. Sasuke was dangerous. He had to be monitored constantly.

"Yes, we saw that. Actually it was a rather interesting encounter. I'm going to assign you to be in charge of his therapy." Tsunade says.

Tsunade couldn't believe she was actually going to do this. Putting Hinata Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha alone in the same room seemed to be almost inviting disaster. Hinata was so kind, sweet, and gentle. Sasuke wasn't.

Normally, the blonde would have assumed that the last Uchiha would traumatized the young woman. That wasn't what happened though. She had watched the clip. His eyes had definitely been wandering while talking to her. Sasuke was attracted to her, at least physically.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I won't let you d-own!" Hinata promises.

"I know that you won't, Hinata. I have complete faith in your abilities as a medic. Just don't let him intimidate you. You have had quite the busy day. Why don't you take the rest of the day off?" Tsunade suggests.

"Alright." Hinata says as she heads off.

The Hokage glances at the footage again. She wondered if Sakura had noticed. She hoped not. That could make things rather awkward between the shy heiress and her apprentice.

"Do you really think it's safe to leave her with him?" Sakura asks.

"I'm not entirely certain. She does have a point though. We aren't exactly neutral parties. Sasuke would likely go out of his way to provoke us. That doesn't seem to be the case with her." Tsunade observes.

Sakura nods. Maybe Hinata was just too nice for even Sasuke to taunt. Then again, it was Sasuke. He might just be playing "nice," while he looked for an opportunity to escape.

Meanwhile Hinata was heading towards the Hyuga Estate. On her way there, she bumped into Naruto. She smiles as she greets him.

"Oh hey, Hinata! How's it going?" Naruto asks cheerfully.

"Strange. Sasuke's acting differently than I expected." She mumbles.

She had mostly outgrown her stuttering habit, even around Naruto. The Hyuga woman had told the blonde of her feelings for him during the war, but the blue eyed ninja hadn't responded right away. It had taken him awhile, but eventually he tried to let her down easy.

 _"You're a really great person! You're kind, loyal, and an amazing friend. I just…don't love you that way. I mean I love you as a friend, just not like that. I mean it though. You really are amazing and any guy would be lucky to have you!"_ His words echoed in her ears.

 _"It's ok-ay, Naruto. I understand."_ She replied.

That was it. That was what years of admiring him had led to. Naruto had told her that he just wanted to be friends.

It had hurt at first. No one wanted to be rejected, no matter how nicely the other person had done so. She was slowly getting over it. Truthfully, it might have been a blessing in disguise.

The Hyuga Heiress couldn't imagine how the boisterous blonde would have fit in with her family. The Hyuga Clan was one of strict rules and structure. Naruto made his own rules.

The man was completely unpredictable. She giggles as she tries to imagine her father teaching Naruto what the "proper" fork was to eat this or that. It wouldn't have ended well.

"Has he said something to you? Did he try to hurt you? I swear to God Hinata, if that bastard did something to you, he'll regret it!" Naruto promises her.

"Oh no. He didn't do anything to me. Sasuke was actually being a good patient. That's what is so strange. I expected him to be more…stubborn about it." Hinata admits.

Naruto blinks. Sasuke HATED hospitals. Well most people hated hospitals, but especially him. Sasuke had good reasons to hate them, but he would have thought Sasuke would have made his medic's life a living Hell. So he was surprised when Hinata told him that the last Uchiha was actually behaving.

"Really? Well that's great! Maybe I should go see him. I mean if he was being nice to you, maybe he'll actually want to talk." The blonde says.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." The Hyuga woman protests and blinks when she realizes that Naruto had already taken off towards the hospital.

She shakes her head in resignation. Hinata didn't like it, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Besides, if they did get into a fight, Naruto had the advantage at the moment.

"Hey, bastard!" Naruto calls out as he enters the ground floor, where Sasuke was staying.

"Do you have to be so fucking loud?" Sasuke growls in annoyance as he walks over to Naruto.

"Well it got your attention! So Hinata is looking after you, huh? You better be nice to her, bastard!" The blonde orders him.

Sasuke felt himself twitch. He didn't know why it annoyed him so much, but he didn't care for the way Naruto was acting towards Hinata. It was so overprotective, like a lover or something.

He knew that they weren't lovers. Sasuke mentally rolls his eyes and wonders if Naruto even knew what _kunais and pouches_ meant. Ninjas didn't use birds and bees as metaphors. They used a much more accurate description in his mind, kunais and pouches.

"She's going to be my medic while I undergo physical therapy, yes. I better be nice to her or you'll what? Kill me? That would be stupid of you. After all, you were so desperate to get me back to this damn village." Sasuke hisses at him.

Naruto blinks. Sasuke's tone vicious. The blonde couldn't understand what he had said to set the other man off. He had mostly been teasing.

"I'm not going to kill you. You're my friend. I would totally kick your ass if you were a jerk to her though!" The hyper ninja exclaims.

"You don't have to worry about that. Hinata isn't annoying like you." Sasuke says with a smirk.

If all else failed, he knew Naruto. He knew that blonde like the back of his hand. Sasuke knew that he would take that bait.

"You're the annoying one! You are the one that kept running away all the time!" Naruto growls and the two soon were engaged in a good ole fashioned fist fight.

"And another thing, it better not happen again. I know you are going to be Hokage some day. It's your job to prevent it. If I suspect another plot, I will level this village to the ground. I won't let them take my family from me again." Sasuke says as he slams his fist into the blonde's stomach, sending him flying back several feet.

Naruto was used to these types of hits. Anyone else probably would have been knocked unconscious, but not him. He quickly gets back on his feet and charges at Sasuke, sending a harsh kick to the raven haired man's legs.

Sasuke fell over. He fumbles for a moment, trying to use one arm to get back up. He manages though and smirks at Naruto. If nothing else, Sasuke loved a good fight. They both did.

"I won't let that happen again! Granny Tsunade wouldn't either. Wait what do you mean by your family, you're the last one. Wait someone wasn't brought back using THAT jutsu again, were they?!" Naruto asks and looks around frantically.

"No. No one was brought back. Well at least not today." Sasuke mutters.

It was kinda disturbing actually. A lot of dead people had been brought back. He had even talked to the former Hokages once. As much as he longed to see his family again, he knew that the dead should stay dead. It wasn't right to disturb their rest.

"Oh good to know. So what did you mean?" The blonde asks.

"Don't worry about it. Just make sure that it doesn't happen again." Sasuke says and his Sharingan flashes.

The last thing he needed was for Naruto to know what he was really talking about. He had two goals. They were to kill Itachi and restore his Clan.

He had "accomplished" his first goal. The victory had been a hollow one. Itachi wasn't the villain, he was the victim and the martyr all wrapped in one enigma that Sasuke didn't think he would ever truly understand. But still for better or for worse, that chapter in his life was over now.

"Wait…you said your family. But you're the last one. Sasuke did you, you know? Did you take a lover or something? Is she pregnant? When did you have time?! I mean with the war, fighting Itachi, and everything?!" Naruto asks.

"You're pathetic. You can't even say the word. No, I didn't. Not that it is any of your business." Sasuke bites back a snarl.

He didn't know why he felt so defensive. Naruto was Naruto. He'd never attack Sasuke, unless he attacked first. The blonde didn't have a treacherous bone in his body. Well actually, scratch that. He knew. The blonde had a very loud mouth and not everyone in this village was as forgiving as him.

"Well that's a relief. Though I guess it makes sense. You'd probably scare them off before it got that far." Naruto observes and Sasuke twitches.

Yes, he still had his second goal to consider. Unfortunately, he was in the Leaf Village. There had never really been anyone in this village who interested him, not like that.

Well at least there hadn't been. Sasuke hadn't even considered Hinata because she blended so well into the background when they were children. Now that he thought about it though, there could be a lot of advantages…if he chose her.

"At least I would actually know what to do with a woman." Sasuke taunts him.

She was a good choice because of her skills. Hinata was a Jonin. She was strong and had excellent chakra control.

There was also the Byakugan. Idly, he wonders if the two bloodlines would form a new one or if one bloodline would be more dominant than the others. Even if the Sharnigan was recessive, the genes would still be passed on and possibly activated later.

Finally, she came from a wealthy and powerful Clan. While he didn't care about the wealth, it would certainly only benefit his children to have ties to an established Clan. The Leaf would be less likely to repeat their earlier actions, if it meant facing two Noble Clans instead of one.

"Hey! I know what to do. I traveled with Pervy Sage!" Naruto protests.

Sasuke just rolls his eyes as he continues his musings. She was also beautiful. While looks were a secondary consideration, it would be nice to actually be attracted to the mother of his children. That would make Clan Restoration much more enjoyable.

The more he considered it, the more logical it became. There were really only two potential problems. Hinata was so sweet and might not have any interest in someone like him. He pictured her as the type of woman who preferred flowers and sweet nothings whispered in her ear. That and she had a thing for Naruto for years. He obviously wasn't her type. Still compared to killing Itachi, how hard could it be to seduce a kitten?


	2. Chapter 2

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I am not entirely sure what the financial situation of the Uchiha Clan was. In this story, Sasuke inherited the Clan's assets after he was pardoned. I'm don't know how many Uchihas there were. But I do assume there were at least a couple hundred because they had their own district. So I think it would add up.

 **Chapter Warning** : Sasuke's thoughts are pretty sadistic towards most people in this chapter. The main exception is Hinata.

Chapter Two

The next day, Sasuke notes that it had been a long time since he felt this way. It had probably been years. It had been years since the last time had actually looked forward to something that didn't involved death or destruction. If he had to label the feeling, Sasuke would identify it as _anticipation._

Sasuke realizes that he was a very-goal driven individual. Without one, he felt rather aimless. After the war, he knew still wanted to restore his Clan. But that was a goal more in abstract. Survival had become the primary goal.

"She should be coming soon." He says as he glances at the clock.

Somehow Kakashi and Naruto had saved him from getting executed in his weakened state. So he had "achieved" that. Now he was free to pursue his second purpose. But honestly, having a new limb attached could be very distracting and there just hadn't been anyone that he considered worthy of his _attention._ That was until now.

"Sorry, I'm late. A fire broke out. No fatalities, but there were a lot of burn victims." Hinata says quickly as she enters the bottom floor where Sasuke was staying.

Sasuke was tempted to say, _"Pity."_ He bit back the impulse though. Expressing disappointment that people hadn't died, was likely not the way to win her over. In his mind though, it was a pity.

Unless children died, then he'd be upset. It wasn't their fault that their elders were mostly oblivious about what Leaf's foundation really was. It wasn't stone or earth. It was blood. Lots of Uchiha blood and the blood of innocents. He briefly wondered how many "Itachis" had been sacrificed without anyone ever being the wiser, all to preserve this village.

"Well that's good." He says and hopes that his voice sounded sincere.

Sasuke despite his many crimes and long list of sins, had never really lied much. Why? Well it just hadn't been necessary to lie in order to achieve his goals. So he hadn't.

Sasuke could only hope that Hinata couldn't see through his lie. He doubted the Hyuga Heiress would be pleased, if she could. The last Uchiha could only imagine the look of disapproval upon her face, if she found out that his response had been less than genuine.

"Yeah. How is your arm feeling today?" She asks.

"I can't really feel it. Morphine is good for that." Sasuke replies dryly.

Hinata blinks. She wasn't entirely sure, but she thought Sasuke might have just made a joke. It was hard to tell.

"Did you just make a joke?" She asks in disbelief.

"It could be interpreted that way." He says with a shrug and immediately regrets making that motion.

 _Agony!_ Sasuke quickly realizes that was a mistake. A big fucking mistake. Lesson learned. Do not shrug.

"Well that's good. A lot of patients report feeling depressed after getting a new limb. So it's a good sign that you seem to be in high spirits." Hinata says with a smile.

"Yeah. I guess so." Sasuke says in amusement.

He did have to give her credit. She was actually treating him like any other patient. Hinata was talking to him, like she didn't expect that he'd go on a murderous rampage at any moment. Speaking of good signs, he decides that was another good sign.

"Would you mind trying to move your arm again? You don't have to flex this time. Just try a slight wave?" She suggests.

Sasuke wasn't really eager to do that. Still it would probably help, if she thought he was a "good patient." He tries waving his hand and winces. The good news? He was able to do it. The not so good news? It fucking hurt to do so.

"Not a good idea." He mutters and tries to keep the pain out of his voice.

He would be damned if he gave anyone a cause to think he was weak. Sasuke knew that he couldn't afford it. His fearsome reputation was one of the few things that had left.

"Well at least you can move it. It's only natural that it would hurt at first. But have to keep doing so to stimulate blood flow." Hinata says.

Sasuke could think of a lot more fun ways to stimulate blood flow. He briefly ponders saying that. He axes that idea. It'd be too soon. She was a shy kitten and would probably make up some excuse to dart off, while blushing as red as a tomato.

"Yes, I know. I'm no medic, but I spent a lot of time around Kabuto in the Sound. I understand why it's necessary." Sasuke replies diplomatically.

"I didn't know you had any interest in medical jutsus." Hinata muses as she checks his arms.

"Some interest. It can mean the difference between life or death during a fight. But I never much talent for it. My chakra is too…destructive to perform in such an intricate and _gentle_ fashion." He mutters.

This was good. While his interest in medical jutsus were purely a practical matter, having something that they shared in common was important. He hadn't been lying when he said he wasn't particularly gifted at medical jutsus.

Sasuke felt it was important to make himself seem less threatening somehow. He wasn't a God. Not everything came naturally to him.

"Well it's good that you tried." She offers with a smile.

She never would have expected him to have any sort of interest in healing jutsus. It was a relief in a way. This meant that on some level, he was interested in something besides just destruction. Though she did get the sense he was more interested in learning medical jutsus out of self-preservation than anything else. Still it was a start.

"Mhm." Sasuke says.

"Do you think you can try pushing chakra into that arm? It'll be painful, but it will be good to start using your chakra network." She asks.

"I can try." He says and begins pushing a tiny amount of chakra into the arm.

Yeah, that wasn't a good idea. This time, he doesn't hide his pain. Hinata rushes over to help him. If she had been looking more closely, she would have noticed his smirk as she reached for him and he pulled her onto the bed. She would think she had fallen, but she hadn't in reality.

She blushes a deep shade of red when she ends up straddling his waist. It was a rather suggestive position. She mumbles a quick apology and tries to get off of him.

"It's alright. I don't bite. Unless you like that sort of thing." Sasuke says with a smirk and caresses her cheek.

Hinata was sure that her skin couldn't get any redder. She was blushing in front of Sasuke. That was not good. Damn it!

"Wh-at?!" She asks and couldn't believe he said that.

She must have misheard him. Sasuke Uchiha would never speak like that to anyone, but especially not to her. They barely knew each other. Was it possible that he was just trying to spook her?

"I said that I don't bite." Sasuke repeats.

That had been a gamble. He might have pushed her just a little too far with that one. In a way it had worked though. The Hyuga Heiress was still straddling him.

"Oh good." She mumbles.

Maybe she had just imagined that last part. He definitely wouldn't flirt with her, especially not in such an outrageous way. That would be very much not like Sasuke.

He nods his head in agreement. While she was getting off of him, he take the opportunity to run his good hand along the curve of her hip. He could probably pawn this off to an accident. That why he did it.

It was important to get her used to him, especially his touch. She had every right to be nervous around him. He'd be concerned about her intelligence, if she wasn't cautious around him. So that was a hurtle to overcome.

"Do you need anything? Are you hungry or do you want more painkillers?" She asks.

Sasuke shakes his head. He wasn't hungry at all. The Uchiha didn't want to take more painkillers. He wasn't sure what a safe amount was, but he knew it was likely he was pushing up against what was considered an acceptable dosage.

"Not really. So how are the other Rookies doing?" He asks.

Sasuke didn't care. He didn't care in the slightest about any of the other Rookies besides Naruto and Hinata. He knew that Hinata did care though. So he would pretend to care.

"Good! Ino's flower shop is really doing well. Sai is starting to learn how to…smile in a less creepy way. Kiba is trying to breed Akamaru. Sakura is obviously doing great as Tsunade's apprentice. Shino is relieved the war is over. Lee's continuing his training with Guy. Naruto is doing great work at keeping the Allied Forces together. Tenten and Lee took Neji's death really hard, but they seem to be getting better." She whispers the last part.

"That's good and I'm sorry about your cousin. I know what it's like to lose someone precious to you." He murmurs.

He wasn't lying about that. Sasuke could emphasize with losing a family member. He hadn't known Neji well. Though from what little he had seen of him, the man had been an excellent ninja. It was a shame that he had passed on. The Hyuga bloodline would be weaker for it.

The part about Kiba trying to breed his dog was mildly interesting. Women in his experience generally liked anything fluffy and cuddly. Puppies definitely fell under that category. Maybe if he was successful, Sasuke should get one of the furballs for Hinata. He really should try to find out when her birthday was so he'd have a good excuse to do the gesture.

"Thank you. I miss him so much." Hinata whispers.

"That's only natural. It's not fair how many talented ninjas get cut down before their time." Sasuke says in sympathy.

She nods in agreement. Hinata wasn't sure how to process the fact that Sasuke was expressing something that looked a lot like empathy. What was shocking is that she was pretty sure it was sincere.

The Hyuga Heiress didn't know him well, but she knew that he was highly intelligent. She was certain that if Sasuke wanted to, he could be highly manipulative. It didn't seem like his style, but he had the potential to do it.

"I want you to try to flex more. If it gets to be too painful stop. Overdoing it, can be just as dangerous as not doing it enough." She says.

"Alright. Could you arrange for me to speak with Tsunade? I want to speak with her about what happens after my recovery." He states.

Hinata nods. Well that was a good sign. Sasuke actually wanted to talk. Well at least she hoped it was just talking. She doubted that he would actually attack Tsunade when he clearly wasn't fully recovered, but you never really knew what was going on in that head of his.

"I'll tell her. I'll be back tomorrow. If you need anything, just hit the green button. Red is for emergencies. Green is for requests." She informs him and shows him the control by his bed.

"I'll remember that. Thanks." Sasuke says as he watches Hinata walk off.

He liked the way her hips swayed when she walked. She really did have a form that was worthy of admiring. What made it even more appealing was the knowledge she wasn't putting on a show for him. Hinata was very too innocent for such things.

He frowns. Speaking of innocent, she used to always blush and faint around Naruto. He really didn't know if she still had feelings for the blonde anymore. If she did, that was going to be an issue.

"Lady Tsunade." Hinata calls out a few minutes later when she finds the busty blonde.

"Yes, Hinata?" The older ninja replies.

"Sasuke wants to speak with you. He wants to talk about what will happen after he's released from treatment." The Hyuga woman explains.

Tsunade nods. Well she had expected that Sasuke would ask sooner or later. It was only natural. She frowns as she realizes that she didn't really have a specific plan for what to do with him after his therapy was over.

"Alright. I'll go speak with him now. You can break for lunch, if you like." the medic informs her as she heads down to the bottom floor.

"Hinata says you wanted to speak with me." Tsunade says.

She walks over to Sasuke warily. His chakra reserves might be dangerously low and he was still recovering from a major operation, but she knew better than to underestimate him. That was a very fast way to get yourself killed. Deidara and Orochimaru had found that out the hard way. She wouldn't make that mistake.

"I did. I know that I'm going to be here for awhile, but I would like to start restoring my District. At the very least, I want to hire a crew to rebuild my house. I've been pardoned. I have access to my financial assets again and intend to make use of them. However, I doubt any construction workers from the Leaf would dare to take the job without your authorizations. If I must, I will hire help from outside the village. I'd rather not have to do that and risk making the other villages anxious though." Sasuke states.

Tsunade knew exactly what he was really saying. _"I'm going to rebuild my house. You can give the construction crews permission to take the jobs or I will hire a crew outside the village. I'm going to do this no matter what you say, so you should just agree to make things easier for yourself."_

"I suppose that does make sense. You don't really have a lot of other options. People are too afraid of you to rent or sell to you. If your home isn't rebuilt, the best solution would be for you to live with Naruto. We both know the two of you fight like cats and dogs. You would likely end up leveling the village, if you became roommates." She muses.

Sasuke nods. That was true. They both knew it. He hoped that she was going to be reasonable. It would be very annoying to hire a crew from outside the Leaf and more expensive.

Of course cost wasn't a major concern for him. He was the only survivor in his Clan. That meant all of his family's assets belonged to him. While most Uchihas had been comfortable, if you combined all their money together in a pool…Sasuke could probably afford to build his own village. It would be a small one, but still.

"Exactly. So are you going to give me the authorization?" Sasuke asks.

"Well I don't really have much of a choice. Very well. I'll give you the authorization to rebuild your house and we'll see about the rest of your District once you are well again." She mutters.

"Good." The last Uchiha replies.

He knew that Tsunade wasn't exactly thrilled to give him permission to start rebuilding, but she had done so anyway. Sasuke didn't care if she liked him or not. He didn't care if she trusted him or not. What he cared about was rebuilding.

"I have to admit that I'm surprised with how cooperative you are being as a patient." Tsunade comments.

Damn it. He was going to have to come up with a plausible excuse. The older ninja could clearly tell something was up.

"It only benefits me to cooperate. I want to get used to this arm as soon as possible." Sasuke informs her.

He would have shrugged, but he had learned his lesson earlier. Shrugging was a bad idea for now. A very bad idea.

"I suppose that's true. But I'm warning you Uchiha, if you are plotting something it won't end well for you." Tsunade says.

Sasuke's eyes flash red. He didn't like being threatened. That was obviously a threat. Maybe she had some delusional idea that she'd be able to have him executed later on, if he wasn't a "good Uchiha."

"If you wanted me dead, you would have done it by now. You don't have the nerve to kill me. You know that Naruto would never forgive you and it wouldn't be good to have the savior of the ninja world angry with you. Save your idle threats for someone who is impressed. I'm not." Sasuke hisses at her.

"I thought as much. A leopard doesn't change your spots. For some reason, you are willing to play nice with her. But when push comes to shove, you will always lash out." Tsunade observes.

"I think I have every reason to lash out. My Clan helped found this village. Then we get shoved into a district to isolate us and once it became clear we weren't your loyal dogs, my brother was ordered to kill his own family. This village doesn't even have the decency to do its own dirty work. This village has always been built upon blood. Maybe I should really lash out and let everyone know the truth." He practically snarls.

Tsunade watches him warily. As much as she was loathed to admit it, he was right. It hadn't been her call, but still Sasuke's rage wasn't a blind one. He had valid reasons for it. That's what made it so dangerous. If he told the truth about Itachi, she had no way of knowing how the villages would react.

"You can spare me the theatrics. If you were going to attack, you would have done so by now." Tsunade snaps at him.

"Itachi sacrificed everything for this village. That is the only reason why it's still standing. If I destroyed it, everything he did was for nothing. Don't think that means I will ever be your loyal lapdog." Sasuke warns her.

So that was it. That was why he hadn't attacked yet. He felt that he had to honor his brother's memory.

Well that was a relief. That meant the village was probably safe. If nothing else, Sasuke was loyal to Itachi. It didn't matter that his older brother was dead now. He wasn't going to go against his wishes.

"I never expected you to be my lapdog. At a bare minimum, I expect you not to attack this village. Ideally, I would like to see you become a trusted ninja for the Leaf again. Though I know the second part is unlikely. You are a loose cannon at the moment. Which is why I hesitate to have Hinata continue your treatment." Tsunade observes.

"And who would you replace her with? You? Sakura? Don't make me laugh." The raven haired man growls.

It disturbed him. It really did disturbing him how much the idea upset him. Sasuke frowns when he realizes that some part of him would actually miss her. She was the only person in this village at the moment who was treating him like a normal person. That was probably why.

"Yes, that would be a problem. I know you. You would deliberately terrorize Sakura. You'd try to provoke me. The other medics are terrified of you. But don't test me. If I believe even for a second that you are mistreating that girl, I will assign someone else to you before you can even say Sharingan." Tsunade thunders at him.

Sasuke's lips curl backwards in displeasure. How fucking dare she?! How dare Tsunade imply that he was going to hurt Hinata? She was the future Matriarch of his Clan.

Yes, he knew that his intentions were anything but innocent. Sasuke still had enough of a conscience to realize that what he was attempting to do was probably morally wrong. He didn't care. He would treat her well. After all, she would be the mother of his children. (She just didn't know that yet.)

"Don't threaten me. You agreed to the authorization. That's all I wanted to discuss." Sasuke says.

"And what about your relationship with your team?" The blonde asks.

"Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin? I don't have a problem with them. I'm not going to seek them out though." Sasuke replies.

Tsunade shakes her head. Sasuke was trying to provoke her. He was pretending to be deliberately obtuse. She could see that he was going to be very troublesome indeed.

"I meant Team Seven and you know it." Tsunade snaps.

"That's really none of your business." Sasuke says and turns his back towards her.

His relationship with Naruto was more or less back to what it had been before he left. Kakashi was in a similar place. Sakura though, he would rather avoid. Sasuke wasn't sure what her feelings for him were anymore.

She claimed to love him, but had tried to kill him. (To be fair, he would have killed her without any hesitation.) Was she back to being "in love with him" again or did she still wish he was dead?

"It damn well is my business. Anything that could impact the safety of this village, is my business." Tsunade says.

"It's not going to impact the safety of this village. Itachi died to protect this village. I'm not going to destroy it. Though it really is what most of you deserve." Sasuke says.

"I am going to have you undergo a psychological evaluation. It's not just your body that needs to recover." She observes.

Sasuke smirks. Oh that was going to be fun. He couldn't wait to send whatever poor sap was assigned to conduct the evaluation screaming. He wondered who it would be.

"I'm going to have Ibiki conduct it." The busty blonde informs him.

Ibiki? Hmm that would actually be a challenge. The man was damn good at his job. Still Sasuke was confident that once he got a good look at the horrors that took place inside his mind, that he would break the other man. This could be fun.

Sasuke was self-aware enough to realize that he was being sadistic here. Ibiki personally hadn't done anything wrong to him. Whatever he was about to do to Sasuke, was only because he was under orders. Still he felt justified.

"I look forward to it." Sasuke says with a smirk.

He had to send a message. No one was going to fuck with his mind. No one was going to control him ever again. All of his life, he had been manipulated to by someone. Sometimes for benevolent reasons and other times not so much. He wasn't going to let that happen again though.

His parents had hidden the coup from him. Sasuke didn't blame them for that. He had just been too young to understand what was going on. His brother had saved him, yet made himself out to be the villain. Orochimaru had wanted Sasuke to become his vessel. Obito/Madara/Tobi, or whatever the fuck name he had decided to call himself that day, had wanted to use him for his own reasons. He was through being both an unwitting and willing pawn.

"Don't get so cocky, Uchiha. You aren't going to enjoy this evaluation." Tsunade warns him.

"I'm trembling…with excitement." He replies mockingly.

Yes, he was through being a pawn. Sasuke would have some fun with Ibiki, rebuild his District, seduce Hinata, and restore his Clan. Not necessarily in that order. But he was rather pleased to have so many enjoyable goals to pursue at the moment. For once, he had several things to look forward to.


	3. Chapter 3

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Sasuke's evaluation results and flashback to his time with Ibiki. It seems like after the Massacre, the Leaf just left Sasuke alone in the same place where his family was killed. The only treatment he appears to have received is the day after the massacre, when he wakes up in the hospital. As far as I can tell, he never received any counseling. So I think that it is entirely reasonable to assume he has PTSD.

 **Chapter Warning:** Sasuke's time with Ibiki is in italics. It is pretty disturbing. So if you are sensitive to that sort short of thing, you might want to skip reading the flashback.

Chapter Three

A few weeks later, Hinata walks into Sasuke's floor. She blinks when she saw the last Uchiha pouring over what seemed to be building blueprints? The Hyuga Heiress was confused by this and immediately rushes over to see what he was plotting.

"Morning, Hinata." Sasuke murmurs a greeting at her as he continues scanning the documents.

"Morning, um what do you got there?" She asks a bit warily.

She had been treating him for a month. During that time, he had been almost suspiciously well behaved. If she didn't know who he was, she would have thought that he was any other patient.

"Construction plans." He says simply.

Sasuke did this physical exercises without compliant. She knew that it had to be horribly painful, but he never protested. While he was far from talkative, he was more social than she expected. He would usually ask how she was and appeared to be genuinely interested in the answer.

The Uchiha was an attentive listener. It was a new experience for Hinata because she was used to being the more quiet one in any conversation. Sasuke was more than content to let her do most of the talking.

"Construction plans for what?" The Hyuga Heiress asks.

Sasuke wasn't mute though. He wasn't ignoring her. He WOULD talk. He just wouldn't talk about himself much.

"My house. It was destroyed when Pein attacked the village. I talked to Tsunade about it. She gave her approval." Sasuke explains.

"Oh. Well I guess that makes sense. You can't really stay in the hospital forever…" She replies and trails off, not wanting to state the obvious.

He couldn't exactly buy a house or rent one. If Sasuke walked into a hotel or inn, it'd probably cause a panic. Yes, it was probably better that he was trying to rebuild his house.

"Such a polite kitten. We both know why she granted the authorization. Tsunade didn't have a choice. No one would sell or rent to me. It was this or live with Naruto. Even she isn't foolish enough to sanction the last one." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"That's only because they haven't seen how much you've changed and you two would end up d-estroying the place." She says.

Hinata still didn't know why, but Sasuke had decided the kitten nickname was going to stay. She supposed it was a good sign. A nickname was usually seen as a sign of friendship.

While she bristled at being compared to something as helpless as a kitten, she knew that she had gotten off lightly by Sasuke standards. Naruto was the loser and most people received even less flattering names. It truly did astound her how creative he could be with his insults. Thankfully, he hadn't insulted Team Eight (yet.)

"That's true and she knows it." Sasuke admits with a smirk.

"How is your arm feeling?" She asks.

Sasuke shrugs. He was relieved that now he could make that motion without utter agony being the result. The last Uchiha considered that to be progress.

"Better. It still hurts to move it, but now it's just uncomfortable. It's not as bad as it was before." He mutters.

If there was one thing that he had learned about Hinata, it was that she was a nurturer. The Hyuga woman would always try to soothe away a person's pain. It didn't matter who they were or what they had done. Hinata just couldn't resist helping them.

This just further solidified his view that he had made the right choice. Her empathy and desire to make people feel better would make her an excellent mother. He hadn't actually seen her around children, but he couldn't imagine her treating them any differently than she treated anyone else.

"That's good. So you an move it now without too much pain? Can you channel chakra through it?" The bluenette inquires.

"Moderate pain. It's bearable. I can channel chakra though it. Not so bearable though." Sasuke admits.

He didn't like confessing to feeling pain or weakness, but it achieved the desired results. Hinata would fuss over him in a typical medical way. This provided him plenty of opportunity to "accidentally" touch her. As far as he could tell, Hinata hadn't realized that he all of his touches were very much intentional.

"Well that's a start at least. What does it feel like when you try to use chakra in that arm?" She asks.

"Like my chakra network is on fire." He states simply.

Hinata frowns. It was the expected answer. Still she had hoped that he would be a little further in his treatment by now. The Hyuga Heiress knew she was being unrealistic. Sasuke was an incredibly fast healer, but this was going to take awhile.

"Well that's to be expected. I'm sorry that you are in pain though." She mumbles.

"I've had worse. At least I don't have to put up with Sakura or Tsunade during this." He says.

The bluenette simply nods. She wanted to protest his comment, but Hinata knew that was useless. While Sasuke stopped short of truly vicious insults, he made it rather clear in subtle ways who he had the most issues with.

He clearly didn't trust Tsunade. Hinata thought that was more because she was Hokage and he didn't really know her, than anything else. With Sakura, it was obviously more complicated. The bluentte wasn't sure what Sasuke's feelings were towards her, but he was obviously avoiding her.

"It does look like a very nice house. Well from what I can see anyway. I really don't know much about construction." She offers.

Sasuke nods. Was it her imagination or did he seem smug at her comment? Hinata shakes her head, she was probably imagining things.

"So how is the loser doing?" Sasuke asks.

He asked for a few reasons. Sasuke did genuinely care about his only friend. But he also wanted to gauge Hinata's reaction. The last Uchiha still wasn't entirely sure if she had lingering romantic feelings for the blonde or not.

"Oh he's fine. Mostly he's training and helping with the rebuilding efforts." Hinata says.

"Good. If that idiot is ever going to be Hokage, he should probably do something besides chase after me." Sasuke notes.

Damn that wasn't particularly helpful. That statement had been so neutral. There should have been something in her voice that would have told him one way or another. That was annoying.

He supposed it didn't really matter. Even if she still wanted Naruto, he could work around that. The boisterous ninja had never expressed an interest beyond friendship with Hinata, as far as he could tell. Surely, she wasn't going to waste her entire life, pinning after someone who only wanted to be friends.

"Chasing after you is good practice though. You are a very hard person to catch." Hinata says.

"Depends if I want to be caught or not." Sasuke says and Hinata suppresses a shiver.

There was just something in the way that he said that. She didn't know what it was exactly, but it felt intimate. The bluenette tries to shake it off. There was no way he was actually flirting with her, was she? So why did it feel like he had just told her to "catch" him?

"Right. Well I'm going to grab us some lunch. Do you want anything?" She asks.

"I'm not that hungry. Just a salad is fine." He replies.

"With extra tomatoes, I take it?" The bluenette asks and Sasuke nods.

He was pleased that she already knew his favorite food. It was a small thing, but it showed that she did care about his preferences. Of course, this was Hinata. She likely would have done the same for anyone. Still it was a start.

"Always." Sasuke states with a smirk and Hinata shakes her head in amusement.

"You are almost as bad about tomatoes as Naruto is about ramen." The Hyuga Heiress observes and starts off.

"Well at least tomatoes are healthier than those cheap noodles!" Sasuke protests and he smiles when he hears Hinata laughing as she leaves.

It was strange, she mused on her way to the cafeteria. He was acting like a normal teenager. If she didn't know any better, she never would have guessed that he was a former S Class Ninja who had fought against Madara and actually lived to tell the tale.

"Some cinnamon rolls and a tomato salad please." Hinata says to the cafeteria worker, who soon starts working on her order.

"There you are." The bluenette hears Tsunade say as the busty blonde approaches her.

"Hello, Lady Tsunade." The bluenette greets her with a warm smile, not realizing that she was going to be in for an interrogation.

The elder ninja glances at Hinata from head to toe. The woman seemed to be completely uninjured and emotionally fine. She had worried that Sasuke was going to torment the gentle Hyuga.

Apparently, that wasn't the case. He just tormented everyone else instead. She suppresses a shiver as she remembered what happened to Ibiki during Sasuke's psychological evaluation.

"Do you have a few moments? I need to talk to you about something." The other woman asks.

"Of course." Hinata agrees and heads off with Tsunade to the blonde's office while carrying the food.

Tsunade sighs as she sits down. The medic wasn't exactly sure how to broach the subject with Hinata. She knew that it was vital though.

"I thought you might like to see these results from the evaluation." Tsunade says as she hands Hinata the folder filled with papers.

"Are you sure that's allowed? I wasn't trained to treat the mind, only the body. Isn't this a violation of his privacy?" The bluenette asks.

The busty blonde shakes her head in amusement. Only Hinata would be worried about violating the privacy of a man who could level villages. She shakes her head and gestures for the Hyuga woman to start reading.

 **Sasuke Uchiha Mental Health Evaluation.**

 **Patient suffers from severe PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome). This largely stems from the psychological scars that the massacre exerted on his developing mind. Patient is prone to flashbacks, rages, and night terrors. Interestingly enough, he never seems to lose awareness of where he is during these episodes. He does not blackout.**

 **Patient is extremely intelligent and suspicious by nature. While not paranoid, he goes out of his way to avoid bonds. He has repeatedly tried to break the few bonds that he does have. This is likely due to fear of loss more than anything else.**

 **Patient is extremely proud and has sadistic tendencies. If he perceives himself as being insulted, he will lash out. These tendencies were likely picked up during his time in the Sound Village.**

 **He is also highly territorial. It's likely that if does establish bonds, he wouldn't take kindly to "sharing" his friend or lover with others.**

 **He is highly antisocial and an introvert. Sasuke rarely seeks out socialization. He also responded extremely negatively to the mental probing and seemed to delight in terrorizing the person in charge of his assessment. We would go into detail about what he did, but it is…disturbing.**

 **Finally, there is one bright spot. Despite his PTSD, sadistic tendencies, and antisocial behavior, he does seem to hold children in a different category. Our records can not find any record of him killing anyone who was younger than him. Not surprisingly, he has a strong desire for a family. As of yet, he has expressed no interest in pursing a romantic or sexual relationship though.**

"Why did you show me that? Didn't we expect all that? Well other than him having a soft spot for children." Hinata asks.

"You have been working rather closely with him. I want your personal impressions. His transplant went well. He'll be released soon. I want to know if I should be concerned about him lashing out." Tsunade says.

Hinata frowns. Well it was a logical concern. Still Sasuke had been "nice" to her. He seemed almost shockingly normal. Maybe she was being played. Was it possible that he was just pretending to be fine, so he would get released faster?

"He's been very cooperative with his treatments. Sasuke's willing to engage in casual conversation with me. I saw that you authorized his home to be rebuilt. He seems happy about that. Smug even. The only thing unusual really is how…cooperative he's being. From what little I knew of him before I began treating him, that's not like him." Hinata admits.

"So he hasn't tried to attack you physically or taunted you verbally?" Tsunade asks.

Hinata shakes her head. He definitely hadn't attacked her. She doubted calling her kitten really counted as taunting. Sasuke was being almost disturbingly sane.

"No. He hasn't done any of those things." The Hyuga woman answers honestly.

"Normally, I wouldn't comment on it. I don't like getting involved in the personal lives of my medics, but Sasuke is a special case. I would like to conduct an experiment." The busty blonde says.

Hinata wasn't sure she liked the sound of that. An experiment? What was Tsunade talking about?

"What do you mean?" Hinata asks.

"I'm going to assign you for an escort mission. I could assign anyone really, but I want to see how Sasuke treats another medic." Tsunade says.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea. It's jarring to change a medic this far into therapy." Hinata says.

Tsunade nods. She understood Hinata's point. It was a valid one. Still she wanted her theory to be confirmed or invalidated. Was Sasuke "behaving" because he actually had feelings for Hinata or would he treat any _neutral_ medic in the same manner.

"It will only be for a week or so." Tsunade assures Hinata and the bluenette nods.

Meanwhile Sasuke was waiting for Hinata. It was taking her an awful long time to get lunch. He doubted the lines were that long. That lead him to conclude that Tsunade or Sakura was meddling.

His lips curl backwards in annoyance. Maybe he should give them the Ibiki treatment. That had been _fun_.

 _"Alright, Uchiha. Tsunade wants you evaluated. This will be a lot easier for you, if you don't fight me. Oh and it's okay to scream. You would be surprised at how quickly even the most fearsome ninja turns into a little boy crying for their mother, when their mind gets probed." Ibiki said with a smile._

 _Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Oh Ibiki wanted to play? That was fine by him. He was going to enjoy this._

 _"I was about to say the same to you. It's okay to scream." Sasuke replied as he activated his Sharingan._

 _"Don't you threaten me. We both know that your chakra cuffed." Ibiki informed him and began probing Sasuke's mind._

 _"I don't need my chakra to make you scream. You are the one foolish enough to go into my mind." Sasuke said with a smirk._

 _Ibiki was an experienced professional. Clearly, he was doing his best not to display any fear towards Sasuke. The last Uchiha almost admired his professionalism._

 _Did that mean that Sasuke wasn't going to fuck with him? Hell no. Sasuke knew that he was going to enjoy this._

 _"We will start with the Massacre, as by all accounts you were a normal child before that." Ibiki stated._

 _Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He relived that horrible day, almost every day. He didn't need Ibiki making him relive it more than was necessary. Oh yes, he was going to make the older ninja pay for that._

 _Ibiki "enters" that memory. He saw it play out with startling clarity. The unease when Sasuke walked home at how quiet it was. The terror when he saw his parents dead body. The panic. The confusion when he saw Itachi. Fear when he found out that his beloved older brother had slaughtered their family._

 _ **"Hope you enjoy being me."**_ _Sasuke hissed at Ibiki in his mind._

 _Suddenly it was no longer a young Sasuke, it was Ibiki. Ibiki's family had been the one who was cut down. Somehow the Uchiha was able to pull from his own memories to make sure the corpses looked exactly like Ibiki's family._

 _"You are a sick son of a bitch, Uchiha!" He snarled at him._

 _ **"You made me relive my Hell. Fair is fair."**_ _Sasuke volleyed back._

 _Ibiki tried to calm his nerves and proceeded. He saw Sasuke get bitten by Orochimaru. He saw Sasuke's desertion of the Leaf. Then he saw flashes of his time in the Sound Village._

 _Sasuke seemed to be deliberately directing his thoughts. Sasuke might quite possibly be psychotic, but he had excellent control over his mind. It seemed like the Uchiha was deliberately choosing to show him the most deprived images of his time in the Sound that he could remember._

 _"No wonder you are insane. No child stood a chance there." He muttered._

 _ **"Are you having fun yet?!"**_ _Sasuke countered._

 _There was violence of course. That Ibiki expected. What he didn't expect was for the Uchiha to assault him with some very suggestive images._

 _It didn't look like Sasuke had ever directly participated in the deviant sexual acts that went on in the Sound. But Orochimaru certainly hadn't shielded the teenager from it. Quite frankly, Ibiki was suddenly relieved that Sasuke appeared to be asexual. He had seen some very…unusual activities and had been exposed to far too much violence, even for a ninja._

 _Ibiki was an experienced ninja. He had seen more than his fair share of sex and violence, but even by his standards, those images were shocking. Surprising, everything appeared to be consensual._

 _ **"The Academy's sex ed class was not nearly as educational."**_ _Sasuke taunted him._

 _"For fucksake Uchiha, what the Hell is wrong with you?!" Ibiki demanded._

 _ **"You are the one who entered my mind. You should have known better. Let's have some real fun."**_ _Sasuke growled at him._

 _His memories of the war came flashing before Ibiki's eyes. He shivered as he saw Madara. The final battle had been far beyond anything that he could have imagined._

 _When that memory finally cleared, Ibiki saw a flash of lavender and blue out of the corner of his eye. He decides to investigate it. But a door slammed in front of him. Whatever he had just partially seen, Sasuke was not eager for Ibiki to get a good look at._

 _ **"That is private. It's not for any Leaf Lapdog to see."**_ _Sasuke said and he "threw" Ibiki out of his mind with a viciousness that took the elder ninja's breath away._

There was no way that he was going to allow Ibiki to see that. He wasn't going to let the other man know that he had decided who he wanted to restore his Clan with. He would run straight to Tsunade. Then the bitch would never let Hinata near him again. That was unacceptable.

He had FINALLY found someone suitable. Someone who was a ninja, strong, intelligent, beautiful, and not annoying. That was a fucking miracle. It was far too hard to find a woman in this village that wasn't annoying or insane. Like Hell, was he going to let Tsunade ruin everything!

"I'm back." Hinata says as she carries the tray of food towards him.

"Good." Sasuke says and smiles when he reaches for his salad.

"I'm going on a mission tomorrow. I'll be away for a week. But I'm sure that whoever Tsunade assigns to cover for me will do a good job." Hinata says.

Sasuke had been innocently enjoying his beloved tomatoes, when she said that. WHAT?! She was going away for a fucking week?! But they were just making progress.

"…" Sasuke is speechless.

"Don't worry. You are doing really well." Hinata says.

"You'll be back in a week?" He asks.

She blinks. He sounded almost disappointed that she was leaving. Hinata knew that they were getting along well, but she didn't think that Sasuke would honestly care if she was there or not. She thought that as long as he wasn't being treated by Sakura or Tsunade, he'd be happy. That apparently wasn't the case.

"Yes. It's just an escort mission." She promises him.

"I guess that's alright then." He mutters.

"Sasuke, it's an order from the Hokage. I know that you are upset because your therapy is experiencing a disruption, but it's not like you could overrule her." She says with a giggle.

"I could if I really wanted to." Sasuke protests and Hinata blinks.

She wasn't entirely certain she wanted to know what was going on in his mind at the second. Hinata remembers his report. Sadism. Yes, it was probably best that she didn't know.

"Sasuke." Hinata says warningly.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow in amusement. She was actually going to try to get him to heel just by saying her name. The kitten really believed she was intimidating? Laughable.

She was a skilled ninja. Sasuke wouldn't have any interest in her, if she wasn't. He knew what the Gentle Fist and Byakugan were capable of. Still she was just as menacing as the kitten he had named her after.

"Alright. I won't argue with her about it. Just stay safe." He says.

He hadn't really considered this before, but her being a medic was also a good thing. It meant she was far less likely to be called off for combat missions. That meant there was less of a chance of her dying in combat.

She'd also have a regular schedule. That was good for children. Children should know that at least one of their parents was going to be there when they got home from school.

"Thank you. It'd be nice if you tried to get along with people other than just me and Naruto." Hinata suggests.

His parents had been similar. His father had a fairly regular schedule because he managed the police force, but he knew that wasn't the case for most ninjas. His mother had become a housewife.

"Other people are annoying. Naruto is annoying as well, but he's loyal." Sasuke says with a shrug.

He wouldn't expect Hinata to become a housewife, of course. She was a Jonin and a medic. She'd worked hard to become both of those things. It wouldn't be fair to ask her to give that up.

He was pretty sure that being an active duty ninja was too deeply engrained in her identity. He wouldn't ask her to retire before she even hit thirty. Though it did bring to mind some interesting images of coming home to see her in nothing but an apron…

"Well I'm happy that you don't think I'm annoying, but you really should try to make friends." Hinata observes with a smile.

"I'll think about it, kitten." Sasuke says.

"Good. I have to go pack now. I'll be back soon." Hinata promises as she heads off.

Sasuke sighs. It as irritating. Tsunade had sent Hinata away just as they were making real progress. Well a week wouldn't make a big difference, he supposed. Besides, it would be fun to play with whatever unlucky son of a bitch was sent to fill in for Hinata. He smirks. Yes, that would be fun.


	4. Chapter 4

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Well it looks like everyone can't wait to see what happens with the medics that get assigned to Sasuke while Hinata is away. So you are going to find that out in this chapter. Hope you all enjoy it.

 **Chapter Notation:** Sasuke is very sneaky and manipulative in this. Hinata doesn't quite know what to make of Sasuke's behavior.

Chapter Four

"LADY TSUNADE!" Someone call out desperately in terror and comes running up the stairs.

"Mitszu, what's wrong?" The busty blonde woman asks.

Mitszu was one of the medics at the hospital. The woman had twenty years of experience. She was one of Tsunade's best staff members. The middle aged woman was currently terrified out of her mind for some reason though.

"I'm not going back there! I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade. But please don't make me go back there and face that awful demon!" The medic pleads.

Oh boy. That was the 4th medic today. She was the fourth medic that Sasuke had traumatized. This was getting ridiculous.

She sighs and glances at the clock. Mitszu had lasted two hours and eight minutes. That beat the previous record by thirty-two minutes. If this kept up, she was going to run out of people to send to Sasuke long before Hinata returned.

"It's alright, Mitszu. You don't have to go back down there. You can take the rest of the week off. You deserve it." The older medic informs her and Mitszu runs out of that hospital so fast, that Tsunade was actually rather impressed.

"I guess if you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself." She mutters as she descends the stairs.

When she arrives on the ground floor, she looks around for Sasuke. She knew that he was here somewhere. Ah there he was. He was sitting on the bed and looking entirely too pleased with himself.

 _He's enjoying this. He enjoys tormenting them,_ was the first thought on her mind. This was Sasuke's version of fun. It was sick and twisted, but she supposed it was a good sign. He was still capable of actually enjoying himself on some level.

"Sasuke, is there a reason why you are frightening so many of my staff members into early retirement?" She demands.

"I was bored. Besides, if they can't handle a disruptive patient, they shouldn't be medics in the first place." Sasuke muses as he sharpens a kunai.

Tsunade blinks. When he Sasuke gotten access to a kunai? It wasn't that he needed a weapon to be deadly, but it was still disturbing. He shouldn't have been able to get his hands on a weapon!

"Where did you get that?" The blonde woman demands.

"Off of medic number four." Sasuke replies with a shrug and continues sharpening the tip of the kunai.

Tsunade frowns. It wasn't uncommon for medics to arm themselves to some degree. After all, they were sometimes treating very dangerous ninjas. Ninjas who might be delirious and lash out. It was only intelligent to be prepared to defend yourself in the worst case scenario.

"And why did you take her kunai?" The head medic asks.

"I was bored. It gives me something to do and it has the desired effect. I might be a patient, but I am not helpless. She knows that now." The last Uchiha replies as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Wonderful. Assuming she believed Sasuke, he was terrorizing medics because he was bored. She couldn't allow this to continue. If this kept up, most of her staff was probably going to quit!

"Uchiha, I'm not going to allow you to frighten my medics to death." She warns him.

"I didn't frighten any of them to death. I COULD though. I was just playing with them. You should have trained them better." He states and continues sharpening the kunai.

Tsunade's eyes narrow. She knew that Sasuke hated to be in hospitals. Most ninjas did. He was just naturally trying to exert control over his environment. He was just doing so in a wicked way.

"Well your games are not appreciated. If you are that bored, I can get you some books to read or find another way to keep you entertained." She says.

"I don't mind reading, but scaring off your pathetically cowardly medics is far more fun." Sasuke replies.

This almost seemed to be retaliation of some kind. Well it looked like Sasuke was not going to treat any neutral medic the way he was treating Hinata. Was that because he considered her a peer? Perhaps it was because she was a Hyuga or was it something more?

"You conducted yourself as a model patient while you were under Hinata's care." Tsunade says.

"Because she wasn't cowardly or annoying. Maybe I'm just tired of being in this dungeon." The last Uchiha suggests to her.

Tsunade frowns. It wasn't a dungeon, but she could see why he would feel that way. Still if that was the real reason for his behavior, he would have lashed out sooner. She was going to call him on that.

"Do you feel a connection towards her? Hyugas and Uchihas are both from Noble Clans. Is that why you didn't torment her like the others?" Tsunade demands.

Sasuke blinks. That thought hadn't really occurred to him. He didn't choose Hinata because she was a Hyuga.

The fact that she had her own powerful bloodline trait was a bonus. However, it was not the primary reason why he wanted her to be his Clan's new Matriarch. He would have chosen her anyway.

"Perhaps I do feel a connection. She reminds me of my mother in a way." Sasuke says.

He mentally pats himself on the back for that one. If he told Tsunade that Hinata reminded him of his mother, that should provide some cover. He couldn't have the blonde realizing that he wanted Hinata.

Saying that the Hyuga woman reminded him of Mikoto, would explain why he was kinder to her than others. It also would likely prevent the busty blonde from realizing that he was interested in the bluenette in a romantic way. After all, saying that someone reminded you of your dead mother usually didn't immediately inspire a romantic connotation.

"She reminds you of your mother?" Tsunade asks skeptically.

"She has long silky hair, like my mother. Hinata is also similar in her mannerisms. She's kind and gentle. A caregiver. Just like my mother." Sasuke says.

Tsunade felt a flash of sympathy. It was hard to remember sometimes, but essentially Sasuke's rage all stemmed from loneliness. He had been a little boy who had lost all of his family at once. He also apparently craved a family bond enough that just having someone with similar hair to his mother, was enough to cause transference.

Transference happened sometimes during therapy. Sasuke was basically transferring the feelings of security that he associated with his mother to Hinata because the young woman reminded him of Mikoto. It was both incredibly sad, disturbing, and a touching all at once.

"So what you are saying is that if Hinata is the one in charge of your care, you will go back to being cooperative?" Tsunade asks.

"Exactly." Sasuke agrees.

Sasuke suppresses the urge to smirk. Bingo. The medic had bought it. Tsunade appeared to believe that the only reason he wanted Hinata around was because she reminded him of his mother. _Perfect._

"Good. She'll be back in a few days. Now stop terrorizing my medics!" She thunders at him.

Sasuke shrugs. It was fun to frighten them. Still that was just a passing amusement. He honestly did not care about the medics one way or another. Getting Hinata back was far more important. If being "nice" to the medics accomplished that, well he'd do it.

"Alright." He replies and Tsunade sighs in relief.

Well it was a start. At least Sasuke wasn't going to be psychologically scarring her medics from now on. That and she knew a way to keep the rebellious Uchiha in check now. Hinata.

"I'll hold you to that. If I hear anymore complaints from my staff about you, I will simply assign someone else to you for the rest of your recovery." Tsunade says as she walks off.

Meanwhile Hinata and her team were checking into an Inn for the night. Hinata was going to be sharing a room with their Amaya. Amaya was the wealthy noblewoman they were escorting to another village to meet her intended husband. Arranged marriages were still quite common amongst nobles.

"Do you know anything about him at all?" Hinata asks softly as the two woman sit down for some tea.

"Some. He's quite handsome. I'm fortunate that way. I was worried that I might be married off to an old man." Amaya replies and sips her tea.

Hinata nods. Well that was good at least. Amaya seemed nice. She smiles and pours herself some more tea.

"What about you? You are the Hyuga Heiress. Have you already met your betrothed?" The other woman asks.

"Oh I don't have a betrothed. My father is allowing me to choose my own husband. I just haven't really had time to find someone yet. We've been so busy with the war and then the recovery efforts. Now I'm treating Sasuke. So that takes up a lot of my time." She mumbles and feels her face heating up in embarrassment.

Amaya blinks. She tries to imagine the kind, shy woman in front of her treating Sasuke Uchiha's injuries. The noblewoman couldn't do it. Actually, she pitied whoever had to treat him. She couldn't imagine the last Uchiha was an easy patient to deal with.

"I'm surprised your father allows that. You are the heir and Sasuke is very dangerous." She observes.

"My father doesn't know. Sasuke's…different than I expected. Well at least to me. He's never tried to attack or insult me. It's everyone else that he seems to have a problem with." Hinata admits.

"Do you think he likes you?" Amaya asks and Hinata chokes on her tea.

What?! Where had that come from? He might like her as a friend, but she knew that wasn't what the other woman was asking.

"Not in that way. I mean it's Sasuke." She says.

She tries to picture Sasuke _liking_ anyone. Hinata couldn't do it. If he ever did have an interest in someone, it would probably be for someone who was her complete opposite in every way. An aggressive female ninja. (For some reason she pictured said female ninja as wearing rather revealing clothes.) He wouldn't be interested in someone like her.

"Well you said that he's nice to you and no one else. He's scary, but I can't lie. He's gorgeous. So is Naruto. Actually, the Leaf Village has so many attractive men. You are very lucky." Amaya says with a giggle.

"I guess I never really thought about it, but yes we do." Hinata says with a smile.

She manages to direct the conversation away from Sasuke. Hinata figured that if she went into too much detail, she would be violating patient confidentiality and his trust. True the last Uchiha hadn't revealed much personal information about himself, but it was the thought that counted.

Hinata returns to the hospital a few days later, after successfully completing her mission. She was swarmed by medics. The bluenette blinks in confusion.

"Is everything alright?" The Hyuga woman asks warily.

"Oh thank God you are here. You can go back to treating him now. I swear Hinata, he is a demon. I have no idea how you have managed to treat such a truly wicked person!" Mitszu exclaims.

The young woman looks at the other medics, completely baffled. Mitszu was far from the only person to proclaim that Sasuke had been a "demon." Actually, the range of descriptions that her coworkers were able to come up with was quite impressive. All of them essentially boiled down to the same thing though. _Sasuke had scared the Hell out of them._

"He's not a demon. Sasuke never acted that way towards me. I'll go and talk to him. Maybe he's having some sort of relapse." Hinata says as she hurries off to see Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" She calls out and instantly she felt a slight whoosh of wind as the Uchiha was by her side.

"You're back." He says simply, but he was smiling.

Sasuke was smiling. A year ago that sentence would have sounded completely absurd to her. Though she had seen him smile while she was treating him. He really did have a nice smile. Maybe the medics would be less terrified of him, if he actually smiled at them once in awhile!

"Yes, I am. What happened? Why is the entire hospital staff so frightened of you?" Hinata asks.

"Probably because of the war. They all know what I'm capable of. They aren't like you. Cowards. Most of them are cowards, except for Tsunade and Sakura." He says.

Hinata raises an eyebrow. Was he really going to try this? She was not stupid. Sasuke obviously had done or said something to them that scared them.

"Sasuke, I know it's more than that. I've heard you called a demon, wicked, evil, cruel, sadistic, and even psychotic. What did you do to the other medics?" The bluenette demands and places her hands on her hips.

The last Uchiha tries not to laugh. Somehow he manages it. It was just so _cute._ Whenever she tried to be intimidating, it was cute.

"It depends which one. Mostly I just told them about my time in the Sound." Sasuke says.

"You didn't tell me about your time in the Sound Village." Hinata replies and sounds a little hurt.

"That's because I didn't want to frighten you. It's better that you don't know what went on there." Sasuke states.

The bluenette blinks. In his own way, Sasuke had basically just said he was trying to protect her. That was difficult to process. Amaya's words echoed in her ears, _"Do you think he likes you?"_

"Sasuke, I am a Jonin. I can handle the truth. I don't need to be shielded from it. I fought in the war!" Hinata protests.

"Oh, I know you can handle the truth. I just don't see the need to inflict it on you. My time in the Sound is over. It doesn't matter anymore. Though it is useful in dealing with your annoying colleagues and Ibiki." He says with a smirk.

Hinata didn't understand. Sasuke definitely had sadistic tendencies, the report was right about that. For some reason though, those tendencies were never applied to her. It was disturbing to see how he could go from having normal conversations with her to terrorizing medics for no good reason!

"Sasuke, please stop scaring them. They are only trying to help you." Hinata says.

"I have. I haven't done anything to them for six days. Tsunade threatened to have you reassigned. So I've been a good boy." He says the last part in mocking tone.

The Hyuga woman knew that the mocking was directed at Tsunade. How she could tell this exactly, she wasn't sure. It was just something she knew in her gut.

"Well that's good. You would be upset, if I was no longer in charge of your therapy?" Hinata asks.

"Of course, I would. You're my kitten." Sasuke replies automatically.

Hinata suppresses a shiver. She wasn't entirely certain if it was a good or a bad shiver. There was something about the way he had stressed the word _my._ It sounded very possessive.

It suddenly occurred to her that this could actually be a dangerous situation. Hinata had no idea why Sasuke was being nice to her. But it was becoming readily apparent that he would lash out if she wasn't around. It was flattering in a way that he missed her, yet more than a little frightening.

"Then I'll talk to Lady Tsunade about staying on as your medic. Just keep being a good Uchiha, alright? No more scaring the other medics." Hinata states.

"I appreciate it, but are you sure about the last part? It's a lot more fun to be bad, kitten. You should have seen the looks on their faces as they ran out of here screaming." Sasuke whispers into her ear, while he stood behind her.

This time she couldn't suppress the shiver. Hinata could feel his warm breath against her ear and the heat of his body against her back. Uchihas were a Fire Clan. She wondered if he was actually that warm or if she just associated heat with him so strongly, that she imagined it.

"Sasuke, that's not nice to scare them like that!" She insists.

"You are nice enough for both of us. Besides, I never claimed to be nice." He states with open amusement.

Well that was true. He hadn't. Still she couldn't allow him to continue to frighten the other members of the staff.

"You promise that you'll behave? Tsunade will assign someone else to you, if you don't." HInata reminds him.

"I'll try not to traumatize them too much. It doesn't really matter. I'll be out of here soon. My arm is feeling a lot better now. I can even use chakra without it being extremely painful. I'm well on my way to recovery." Sasuke says.

Hinata bit her lower lip. She wasn't really sure if that was a good thing or not. While Sasuke was at the hospital, he was supervised. He wouldn't be when he was back in his District.

The Hyuga woman didn't really have any real fear that he would attack the Leaf at the moment. Hinata couldn't lie though. She was nervous about what he would do, once he was out of the hospital.

"Well that's good." She mumbles.

"My house should be ready by the time I'm out of here as well. It's going to take a lot longer to restore the District. I figure it'll take at least a year before it's fully reconstructed." Sasuke continues.

The bluenette blinks. She supposed that was a good sign. Sasuke was working to achieve long-term goals. Long-term goals that apparently meant he would be staying in the Leaf. After all, there wasn't much of a point in restoring your home, if you were just going to destroy the village anyway.

"That's good. I'm happy for you. It's not right just to leave everything like that." She replies.

"I might add a garden to it. You strike me as the type who likes flowers. That way you could have something nice to look at when you come and visit me." He continues on.

"Vi-sit?!" Hinata squeaks.

She hated herself for squeaking. Still the Hyuga Heiress couldn't help it. It was one thing to be "alone" with him while in the hospital. It was quite another to be alone with him in his house.

"I probably shouldn't have assumed. But I would have thought that I would need to be examined regularly after my release. Since you are the only medic that I like, it would make sense for Tsunade to send you." He states.

"Oh. That does make sense. And yes, I do like flowers." She mumbles.

Sasuke smiles. Progress. He had completely made that up about the regular house examinations. Fortunately, it appeared plausible enough that Hinata had bought it.

It wasn't a lie. Not exactly. He would need to get looked at. He just wasn't sure if Tsunade would want someone to make a "house call" or not. It didn't matter though. Hinata had agreed to see him.

"What kind of flowers do you like?" He asks.

Hinata tries to process the fact that Sasuke Uchiha was talking about flowers. _Flowers!_ This was a very strange day!

"All kinds really. I do like lilies most though." She informs him.

"Then I'll have some lilies added to the gardens before I leave." He tells her and Hinata nods.

Strange. Really strange. Sasuke was asking her what kinds of flowers she wanted and making a special effort to have those ones planted for her. It was almost like he thought she was going to move in or something.

"How did your mission go?" He asks.

"Oh it went fine. It was just a standard escort mission. We didn't have any problems along the way. Amaya was really nice too!" Hinata says.

A standard escort mission? Tsunade had sent his kitten on a standard escort mission? That was such an insult to her abilities. The busty blonde could have sent anyone. She didn't have to send Hinata away for a fucking week over such a tame assignment!

"That's good. Hopefully next time, she doesn't send you on a mission that she could have assigned to anyone. It seems like a waste of your talents." Sasuke observes.

"Oh I didn't mind doing lower level missions. Does that mean you would only accept S Class missions?" She asks curiously.

"She's not going to assign me to any missions for a very long time. That's alright though. It's not as though I need the money. I prefer being challenged to busywork. I'd take what I was given though." Sasuke replies with a shrug.

Hinata nods. Well that was interesting. Sasuke preferred dangerous missions to easy ones. Then again, it was Sasuke. Nothing about him was easy.

"Well that makes sense." She mumbles.

"I did miss you though, kitten." He says and caresses her cheek.

He had been patient. Sasuke had spent weeks trying to get her used to the idea that he wasn't a threat to her. Mostly this involved talking and some platonic touches.

Phase One had largely been a success. Hinata didn't seem frightened of him anymore. She wasn't flinching at his closeness and even felt comfortable enough to chide him about taunting the medics. So in his mind, it was time to start Phrase Two.

Phased Two involved changing his behavior towards her. During Phase One, he had mostly acted like a cooperative patient or her friend. Phase Two meant subtly changing his actions. Making them more romantic in nature.

"I missed you too." Hinata blurts out.

She mentally kicks herself for that one. Why had she said that?! Hinata really wasn't sure what had gotten into Sasuke today, but she shouldn't encourage whatever it was.

True, nothing he had said or done was EXPLICITLY romantic. But there was a certain change in tone. He was standing so close to her. He was actually caressing her cheek! And there was just something about the way he said kitten that was more… _seductive_ than usual.

"Good. So don't leave again." He says in a voice that came out somewhere between a plea and a command.

Before Hinata could come up with a response, the door swung open. It was Naruto. Hinata silently thanks the universe for sending the blonde to her at that moment. If he hadn't shown up when he did, she wasn't sure what she would have said or done.

Sasuke was decidedly less relieved than Hinata. At best, he was annoyed. At worst, he was angry. His best friend really did have the worst timing. How the Hell was he supposed to restore his Clan with all these interruptions?!

"Hey, Sasuke. Granny Tsunade sent me to grab you. The Council wants to speak with you. No biggie. It's more a formality than anything. Try to play nicely with them. Kakashi and I went through a lot of trouble to get you pardoned. If you get executed because you were being a bastard, I'll have to revive you and kill you again myself." Naruto says cheerfully.

"Naruto, you are such a loser." Sasuke mutters and sighs as he follows his friend out of the hospital.


	5. Chapter 5

Wicked

 **Author's Note** : Thanks for the reviews. We shall begin to really initiate Phase Two in this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

 **Chapter Warning:** There is a torture description. Sasuke is plotting. Warnings will be put up before and after it. If you are squeamish, you can easily skip it. It is not essential to the plot. In the next chapter, Hinata will struggle with how to react to Phrase Two.

Chapter Five

"You aren't going to babysit me while I speak with the Council, are you?" Sasuke asks as he walks side by side with Naruto.

"Depends. Do I have to?" The blonde volleys back.

Naruto knew that Sasuke had been making real progress with Hinata as his medic. Not just physically, but also mentally. That had changed the second that the Hyuga woman left for her mission, according to Sakura. Then Sasuke had _fun_ by terrorizing the medics. The blonde honestly wasn't sure what to do about Sasuke at the moment.

"You don't have to. I'd appreciate it, if you didn't. I don't need you to hold my hand. I can handle this." Sasuke informs him.

"Oh I know you can handle it. The problem is HOW you are going to handle it." The boisterous ninja snaps at him.

Sasuke smirks. The blonde wasn't the naïve child that he was when he was first assigned to Team Seven anymore. He was perceptive enough to know that it was the Council's safety that he should be worried about, not Sasuke's.

"I promise I won't kill them. Well at least not today." Sasuke assures Naruto.

"That's not particularly comforting. Alright. Go on. If I hear them start to scream, I'm going in. If you hurt them, I will have to kick your ass." The blonde warns him.

Sasuke shrugs. He heads inside the building and smirks. This was going to be fun. He meant it when he said he wasn't going to kill them. Still they had interrupted his time with Hinata and frankly, he loathed them on a good day. They had it coming. There were things worse than death.

"Sasuke. Where is Naruto?" One of the council members asks.

The last Uchiha did have to give the man credit. He managed to ask that without stuttering. He knew that was something of a miracle. Still his knees were shaking. Sasuke took more than a little pleasure in that.

"Don't worry. He's waiting just outside the building. He'll rush in and save you, if things go wrong. Isn't that what he always does? He always saves this treacherous village? It's rather ironic that it's always Naruto. All of you treated him like trash when he was a child, yet he still protects you anyway." Sasuke demands.

He couldn't help but feel a little outraged on his friend's behalf. The dark haired ninja didn't know how Naruto did it. Had he been in Naruto's position, he wouldn't have bothered saving this village. Still the blonde did it time and time again. It made no sense.

"Do not talk about things, you don't understand!" The council member snaps.

"I understand that the Nine Tails was placed inside a baby. One of the most powerful creatures in creation was placed inside an infant. And what did the Leaf Village do, when you all realized this? You IGNORED him at best. Treated him like trash at worst." Sasuke begins.

The Council eyes Sasuke warily. It didn't seem like the fearsome ninja was going to attack yet. Still this was an outrage. How dare he attempt to lecture them?! They couldn't let this stand.

"You will never understand. Everything we did was for the safety of this village. It is regrettable that the beginning of Naruto's childhood was not as happy as it could have been. It doesn't matter now. He's a very happy man." A councilwoman dares to speak.

Her words did nothing to calm Sasuke's fury. If anything, they only incensed him more. The flames of his rage were burning hotter and brighter. Words were now pouring forth from his mouth, as if he was as dam that had just burst.

"You almost completely ignored him until he was Academy age. It's a wonder that the Nine Tails didn't get loose or Naruto didn't use the beast's chakra to destroy all of you. Lonely children usually retreat inside themselves or lash out. You're all really lucky that the worst he ever did was paint the Hokage Mountain." Sasuke thunders at the other man.

"SILENCE! We will not sit here and be lectured by the likes of you. You deserted your own village!" A councilman snaps at him.

Sasuke's lips curl back in a cruel smirk. He didn't actually think that he could order him around, did he? As much as he loathed Danzo, he had been a true ninja. He had been a worthy opponent. These people were scarcely more than living fossils. Sasuke would end them with barely more effort than he would need to exert to swat a fly. Perhaps he should remind them of that fact?

"You mean the same village that herded one of the Founding Clans into their own District and then ordered their slaughter? Oh yes, I know all about that. You kept the truth hidden from me for years. You allowed me to believe that Itachi butchered our family for _fun._ No, I have no loyalty to this village. It's certainly never had any loyalty to me or my family." Sasuke snarls and in a flash is behind the councilman with a sword at his throat.

"Are you threatening us?!" The first councilman demands.

"No. Itachi died to protect this village. While I don't consider this village worthy of his sacrifice, I will not spit on it. However, that doesn't mean I wouldn't kill all of you. If I feel that you are threatening me or my family again, I'll make certain that your deaths are agonizingly slow and you won't be granted the courtesy of marked graves." He promises.

The man goes utterly still. Sasuke had the sword by his neck. With a flick of his wrist, the younger man could end him. It seemed unlikely as Sasuke was promising a far more gruesome death than a quick strike with a sword, but it was still a possibility.

"If you wanted us dead, you would have killed us by now." He says with far more confidence than he felt.

"Maybe I just like to play with my prey a bit. But you're right, killing you would be annoying. I'd have to find a way to cover it up or come up with a reasonable explanation. Even in death, you are all nothing more than parasites. What I want is to be left alone. I want to start over." Sasuke hisses at them.

The councilwoman eyes him warily. Her friend was still alive. Though there was no telling how long that would last. In her mind, the Uchiha was completely unstable.

"And what will you do, if you perceive that you are not being left alone?" She asks.

 **Warning Torture Description**

"I'll bind you all first. Then I think I'll stab every spot on your bodies that isn't lethal with my sword, allowing you to slowly bleed to death. Perhaps I'll tip the blade with some sort of poison. I'd definitely employ the use of fireballs." Sasuke begins.

The Council all watch Sasuke with absolute terror. His red eyes were now dark with hatred and a sadistic glee as he debated how would like to kill them. Wicked. The man was completely wicked now.

"My father taught me how to use the fireball jutsu. I think it'd only be fitting if you all burned alive. Maybe I'd put out the flames, just long enough to shove you all into your coffins and burry you." Sasuke continues.

They all gulp. Slowly bleeding to death, while being burned alive, and shoved into a coffin was not a pleasant death to imagine. The worst part of this though, was knowing that Sasuke would absolutely do it.

"You'd be trapped with no way out. Just like my Clan. The Leaf didn't want us here, but they never would have allowed us to leave. We knew too many of your dirty little secrets to permit such a thing." He finishes his musing.

 **End of Torture Description**

"You certainly do need psychiatric care. Only someone who is insane would ever dream up such a vicious method of execution." The councilwoman states.

Sasuke smirks. If they ever sent a counselor to him, he'd make sure that they ran away from him screaming. No one was going to violate his mind and get away with it. Never again.

"I'd enjoy ripping the mind of whoever you sent to "fix me," to shreds." He taunts them.

"We could still have YOU executed." One of the councilmen says.

"I'd like to see you try. Assuming you could somehow restrain me long enough to do it, you'd still have to get through Naruto." Sasuke says with a smirk and walks out.

Naruto sighs when Sasuke walks out with a smirk. He knew something had happened. Oh boy. This was not going to be fun to smooth over.

"I'm not sure I even want to know. Come on, let's get you back to the hospital and I'll try to patch things up." He offers.

The last Uchiha shrugs. He heads back to the hospital with Naruto. It was enjoyable to frighten the Council, but he'd rather be with his kitten.

Meanwhile Hinata greets Tsunade as the busty medic walks in. The bluenette blinks at the expression on her face. The other woman was clearly worried about something.

"Hinata, I've been observing you while you treat Sasuke on camera." The medic begins

"I know. It would have been odd, if you weren't." Hinata says softly.

Tsunade nods. That much was true. You didn't leave someone like Sasuke Uchiha unmonitored, even if he was injured.

"And I also talked with Sasuke. I spoke with him about you in particular. I think that he is transferring his feelings about his mother onto you. He views you as being similar to Mikoto in personality and to a lesser extent in looks." Tsunade warns her.

The Hyuga Heiress blinks. Well that would explain a lot. Sasuke was always nicer to her than the other medics. If she really did remind him of the Uchiha Matriarch, then it would only be natural for him to be kinder to her.

"I see. That does explain a lot. That's a good thing though, isn't it? I mean it keeps him calmer…" The bluenette asks.

"I'm not certain it's a good thing. You could unknowingly do something that shatters the mirage. Then he might very well get violent. Unfortunately, at the moment you also appear to be the only one who can really handle him. I hate to place you in danger like this, but I don't really have any other choice." The other woman admits.

Hinata nods. She was also starting to worry that this might actually be dangerous. She didn't think that Sasuke would hurt HER. The bluenette wasn't so certain that would be the case with others though.

"What are you asking me to do?" Hinata asks cautiously.

"Continue your friendship with him after he leaves the hospital. Well maybe friendship is stretching it a bit, but you are the only person besides Naruto that he willingly talks to." Tsunade says.

Sasuke had been right about the house calls, Hinata privately muses. It did make her a bit anxious. The other woman was asking her to be alone with Sasuke, presumably in a District where no one else was around.

"I'll do my best. I don't think he's a bad person, it's just his environment that shaped him." She mumbles.

"Oh he's a bad person now, Hinata. There's no denying that. He might have started off as a good person, who bad things happened to. But that's no longer the case." Tsunade observes.

Hinata decides to protest that. Sasuke wasn't a bad person, not really. When he felt comfortable, he was able to carry on normal conversations. He did seem to actually care how she was doing.

It was just that he put on quite a show for others. Privately, she thought he got some sort of sadistic kick out of his fearsome reputation. The Hyuga woman wasn't sure how to explain that to Tsunade.

"That's not true. He's…just a little lost now." The younger woman protests.

"You are too kind, Hinata. You see the good in everyone. Still if he is so desperate for a connection that he clings to someone because they remind him of Mikoto, there might be something worth saving inside him. I'd rather not have this end in tragedy. There has been enough bloodshed in this world already." The elderly ninja replies.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade." Hinata says as Naruto walks in with Sasuke.

"Hey, Hinata! Hey, Granny Tsunade! Just dropping the bastard off" The hyper blonde says happily.

He didn't want to show how anxious he really was. God only knows what Sasuke had said to the Council. The bastard looked far too smug for it to be anything good.

"Thank you, Naruto. Do you want to have lunch with me?" Tsunade asks.

"Yeah! Let's go to the ramen shop!" He says cheerfully and heads off with the other blonde.

Sasuke shakes his head. Who did they think they were kidding? He knew they were both going to see the Council. Why they pretended otherwise, was beyond him.

"How did it go?" Hinata asks.

"I thought it was a very productive conversation." Sasuke replies and Hinata shakes her head.

Sasuke sounded far too pleased with himself. Something had happened. Probably something bad. She didn't know what she was going to do with him. She did know that Tsunade was right. It was up to her to see that he was reintegrated successfully into the Leaf. The Hyuga woman just didn't know how she was going to accomplish that.

"Sasuke, please tell me that you didn't make them run away screaming like the medics." Hinata pleads.

"I didn't make them run away screaming like the medics. I may have made it clear what would happen to them, if they tried to attack my family again…in graphic detail though." Sasuke says.

"You threatened to torture them." The medic states without any uncertainty.

That was disturbing. Sasuke was talking about torture, as if he was some child that had outwitted their parents and stolen cookies from the cookie jar. It was going to take a lot of work to help him get back to "normal." Well whatever normal was for Sasuke.

"Such a clever kitten. I did. They deserved far worse than a threat though. After what they did to my family, I should have gone through with it." He informs her.

Hinata blinks. What did the Council have to do with Sasuke's family? Itachi had been the one who conducted the Massacre, not the Council.

"I don't understand. What do they have to do with the Uchiha Clan?" Hinata asks.

"I'm not sure that you are ready to hear that answer. You're such an innocent kitten. The truth is ugly, Hinata. Very ugly." He replies.

She tilts her head to the side. Hinata wasn't certain what Sasuke was referring to or even if it was true. The Hyuga woman could only imagine what sorts of crazy ideas Orochimaru and Obito might have planted in his head. It could be anything.

"I can handle it. I want to know. Besides, we are friends. Friends should be able to trust each other with the truth!" She insists.

 _"We are friends,"_ She said. Well it was a start. Friendship wasn't exactly what Sasuke was aiming for, but it was an important first step. He doubted that Hinata would enter a relationship with someone that wasn't built on the foundation of friendship. He could work with friends…for now.

"Yes, we are. Itachi killed my family, but not for the reasons that I thought. It's a very long story. I guess I'll start at the beginning. After the Nine Tails attacked the village, the village began to suspect my family was involved. The Sharingan can be used to control the beast. That combined with the fact we had our own district was a recipe for disaster." He begins.

Hinata nods encouragingly. She had heard some whispers here and there about such theories, amongst the older members of her Clan. The young woman had never really believed it. Why would the Uchihas want the Nine Tails to destroy the village they helped found? Even if he managed it, where would the Uchiha Clan go afterwards?

"Yes, I've heard a few whispers about such things. I never put much stock in it. It wouldn't make any sense for you to destroy your home." She mumbles.

"Most people are not as logical as you. Eventually, my family had had enough of the isolation and discrimination. They plotted a coup. Somehow the Leaf found out about it. Itachi was given a choice. He could side with our Clan or the Leaf." Sasuke says and he takes a deep breath, as if to brace himself to continue the story.

"A coup?" She asks in shock and Sasuke nods in confirmation.

"He chose the Leaf over our Clan. Itachi's reasoning was that even if our Clan won, it would leave the village weakened. Other villages would see this and try to take advantage of it. It could have kicked off another Great Ninja War. So Itachi killed our family. He was able to have me spared because I was so young. I had no idea what was going on at the time." He finishes.

Hinata blinks. If what Sasuke said was true, Itachi wasn't the villain. He was the victim or martyr, depending on how you wanted to look at it. But that would mean the Leaf Village had ordered the deaths of hundreds and people and covered it up for years. She felt sick to her stomach.

"I d-on't know what to say." She admits.

"You don't have to say anything. Now you know why the Council deserved the threats and far worse. I'm never going to allow it to happen again. This time things will be different." He says firmly.

The Hyuga woman nods. She was left speechless. How could things have gotten so bad without anyone noticing? She had always assumed that the Uchihas preferred having their own District. That they liked their privacy. She didn't realize they had been corralled off from the rest of the village by force.

"I'm really sorry that all that happened. It didn't have to end that way. Something could have been done." She mumbles.

"You're right. Something probably could have been done long before it got to that point. Unfortunately, there are no time travel jutsus. So it doesn't really matter. I'm just never going to allow something like that to happen again." He tells her.

Hinata tries to picture herself in Sasuke's place. She couldn't imagine losing her entire family and knowing that some of the people who were still responsible, were in charge of her village. No wonder he was so…vicious.

"I'm sorry." She whispers and surprises even herself by hugging him.

Sasuke blinks. He hadn't seen that coming. No one had hugged him since Sakura when Orochimaru's curse mark had overwhelmed him. (Even that was to stop him from killing the pink haired girl's attackers, so he didn't really count it.)

"It's not your fault." He says and wraps his arms around her.

Sasuke wouldn't say that he was hugging her exactly. It was more like holding her. Still Hinata seemed surprised that he was not only allowing the affectionate gesture, but returning it to some extent.

 _Soft and warm._ She was soft and warm, he decides. There was something very comforting about that. He couldn't articulate why exactly. He rests his head on top of hers and determines it was best not to question why. Sasuke would just enjoy the moment.

"You're good. Not like the rest of this village." He mutters.

Hinata looks up at him in confusion. She wasn't exactly sure what Sasuke meant by that, but she wasn't going to ask. The last Uchiha was hugging her, sorta. She wasn't going to ruin whatever breakthrough this was. How long had it been since he had touched someone without the intention to harm them, she wonders.

She hadn't really thought about what she expected Sasuke's embrace to be like before. Hinata vaguely notes that she was right. His body temperature was definitely slightly warmer than average, but she liked it. It was almost like he was a living electric blanket! His hold was firm, but also gentle somehow. It was _nice._

"Thank you. You'll probably be released from the hospital soon. How is your home coming along?" She asks softly, not bothering to try to wiggle out of his hold.

"Well. It'll be ready by the time I'm released. I hired a large construction crew to make sure it was ready quickly. I don't think that it would be a good idea for me to rent a hotel room. Which means if it isn't ready, I'd probably have to stay at Naruto's place." Sasuke makes a face.

Hinata almost laughed. It was just so funny to see Sasuke make a disgusted expression. He rarely showed emotions other than anger, arrogance, or a smug amusement. His face was actually quite expressive, when he wanted it to be.

"Yes, I can see why you might want your home rebuilt fast in that case. You two would destroy the entire village, if you had to live together." She muses with a quiet giggle.

"Exactly. It's worth the extra money." He agrees.

Hinata nods. She tries to picture Naruto and Sasuke living together. She couldn't do it. It was like oil and water. The two had a strong bond of friendship, but they were such complete opposites.

The bluenette laughs at the image of Naruto's likely messy room and Sasuke's most likely tidy one. She had no idea what Sasuke's habits were in this respect, but she imagined he was a more organized person than his boisterous friend.

"I'm glad that you find it amusing, kitten. I did tell them about the lilies." He whispers hotly in her ear and Hinata shivers.

That was…entirely too intimate. He didn't have to whisper like that. Sasuke didn't have to use his velvety voice against her in such a fashion. That wasn't how one whispered to a friend, but a lover.

She had to be imagining it though. Tsunade told him that Sasuke viewed her as being similar to his mother. Surely, he wouldn't be attracted to someone that reminded him of his mother in such a strong way. Would he?

"Sasuke, was it true what you said to Lady Tsunade? Was it true that I remind you of your mother?" She asks nervously.

"Well you do in a way. You are both very kind. Mostly I just said that because Tsunade was being annoying. I wanted to give her a reason why I liked being around you. One that she wouldn't bother me about." He admits.

"So that's not the reason why you behave differently towards me than everyone else?" The Hyuga woman inquires cautiously.

Sasuke shakes his head. No, that wasn't the reason. He debates for a few seconds. Hinata hadn't tried to wiggle out of his hold. She wasn't bothered by his closeness. Maybe he should be a bit more direct.

"No, I behave differently towards you because you're different than them. You're kind. You're honest. You care about people who are in pain, even if they don't deserve your mercy." He explains.

"That's really nice of you to say." Hinata says with a smile.

"I'm not a nice person. I'm not you. But I'm only telling the truth in this case. There were a lot of reasons really, but mostly I chose you for your empathy and your strength. It's a quieter strength than someone like Naruto's or Sakura's, but it's there." Sasuke says.

Hinata wasn't exactly sure what Sasuke meant by, _I chose you."_ She was almost scared to ask what he meant by that. Did he mean he chose her for a friend or something else?

"What do you mean by that?" She dares herself to ask.

"Let me show you." Sasuke says as he turns her around and leans down, capturing her lips with his own.

Hinata's eyes widen. She couldn't believe it. Sasuke was kissing her. The Hyuga woman gasps in surprise. Apparently, Sasuke took that as a sign of consent because he soon deepens the kiss.

Her mind didn't know what to do, but her body decided it enjoyed the affectionate gesture very much. She soon found herself moaning into the kiss. If nothing else, Sasuke was a really good kisser.


	6. Chapter 6

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Hinata is going to struggle internally about what to do with Sasuke. She's smart enough to realize that being with him is like playing with fire.

Chapter Six

 _"Sasuke kisses, just like he fights,"_ Hinata thought to herself as the last Uchiha continues kissing her. Elegantly, passionately, and aggressively were the words that came to her mind. That and cinnamon. His kisses tasted like cinnamon candy. Hot, but not overwhelming.

She'd never been kissed like this before. Once she had kissed Kiba on a dare. His kisses were affectionate and playful. She would compare them to a lovable puppy. Sasuke was more like a wolf. He stalked his prey and took what he wanted without any hesitation.

"Sasuke, we really shouldn't do that." She mumbles after lightly pushing on his chest to make him stop.

He might have been _"wicked,"_ but Sasuke did have boundaries that he wouldn't cross. Forcing himself onto someone, was apparently one of them. He stopped kissing her after she protested. Hinata was a little alarmed that his Sharingan was activated though. Uh oh.

"You asked what I meant. So I was showing you. Why not? You liked it. I know you did. You were moaning so sweetly for me." Sasuke says, caressing her cheek.

He had stopped kissing her. Sasuke wasn't one to give up easily though. She couldn't fathom why, but he did seem intent on seducing her. Uchihas were a very determined bunch, she idly noted.

"W-ell you're my patient. It'd be wrong to take ad-vantage of you like that." She stammers out.

Sasuke snorts in amusement. Hinata thought that she was taking advantage of HIM?! The Hyuga woman had to be joking. It was the other way around.

"Your only objection is that I'm your patient and you don't want to be seen as having an _improper_ relationship with a patient?" Sasuke asks.

"It's not my only objection, but it's the main one." Hinata says quickly.

The bluenette knew that the last Uchiha probably thought it was silly to worry about how a doctor-patient relationship would look. He'd done a lot more scandalous things than that. But it wasn't just her reputation she was concerned about. As his medic, she had an enormous influence over his psychological state and she didn't want to jeopardize his recovery, if they had a fight.

The patient objection, he could get over easily. Sasuke wouldn't be her patient much longer. The other objections, well those might be a cause for concern. Still she had kissed back and she had clearly enjoyed it, Sasuke was not going to let her deny that.

"Hinata, I'm not a terminal case. I am going to get out of this hospital. I'm going to get out of here soon, actually. What are your other objections?" Sasuke inquires.

It was probably better to just deal with them now. Hinata was logical. He could just sway her with reason and if that didn't work, he wasn't above just seducing her the old fashioned.

If the Hyuga woman sincerely protested, he would stop. He was a monster, but he wasn't that kind of monster. Sasuke was almost certain that her protests were more out of concern for what was proper than anything else though. As long as the attraction was there, he could get around that.

"You are going to have a hard enough time readjusting to village life, without starting a new relationship. I don't want to be mean, but a lot of the villagers are really scared of you." She says.

"You actually believe that I care what the rest of this village thinks of me? Let them cower at the sight of me. Let them revile me, if they want. It doesn't matter to me. They don't matter to me." Sasuke informs her.

Hinata bites her lower lip. If it had been anyone else, she would have thought they were just posturing. It was only natural that being shunned by your village would have an impact on you. This was Sasuke though. He might actually mean that and that was more than a little frightening.

Public opinion wouldn't phase him. The odds that they would be able to restrain him in the worst case scenario were slim. If he truly lost it again, Naruto was the only one who stood a real chance against Sasuke when it came to combat.

"Don't you want to make friends?" She dares herself to ask.

She inwardly winced at how childish that sounded. Hinata thought she sounded like an Academy student again. Sasuke Uchiha apparently didn't care about things like friendship. Well at least not much.

"With these people? Why? They don't care about me. They never did. They only "liked" me either because of my Sharingan, my looks, or my other abilities. The only one that cared about me as a person, was Naruto. The others just wanted to use me in one fashion or another." The other ninja informs her.

That was depressing. Was that really how Sasuke about the village in general? Unfortunately, Hinata couldn't actually argue the logic behind that perception. When he was younger, people had fawned over him…for exactly the same reasons that he just listed.

"Sasuke…" She says.

She wanted to say something. Hinata just didn't know what to say. Her instinct was to defend her village, but he wasn't saying anything that was inaccurate. She was torn.

"It's fine, Hinata. None of that was your fault. You don't have to defend them. This village loves to put people on a pedestal and then tear them down. Look at what happened to me and my family. The reverse is true in Naruto's case. As long as you are strong and a good lapdog, they'll "adore" you. The second you stop being their willing pawn, they will turn on you faster than you can blink." Sasuke finishes.

"Sasuke, it is NOT like that." She protests and Sasuke shakes his head.

Her loyalty to their village was sweet. It was adorably naïve really. If Hinata wanted to believe that the Leaf Village was noble, he wouldn't argue. Well for now at least.

His eyes were open enough for both of them. Hinata could keep her innocent worldview. Sasuke would just protect her and their family from the real world.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm being a little too harsh on them. Most of the other rookies, were just dumb kids. Hey couldn't possibly have known what was really going on behind the scenes. It was really the Council and powerbrokers that ordered the Massacre. The general population had no idea what was being done in their name." Sasuke says and brushes his thumb over her lip.

He'd go along with it for now. Hinata might like him better if she thought that he would at least consider making friends with others. For her and their future children, if necessary…he could pretend to tolerate at least some of the Rookie Nine.

"Do you mean it?" She asks.

"Would it make you happy, if I tried to be friends with them?" He asks

"Well yes. But it doesn't really count, if you are doing it just to make me happy. You should make friends because you want to, not because you are humoring me." Hinata answers him.

Sasuke really did seem to have contempt for most of the villagers. Yet, he was willing to at least try to make her happy. On one hand, it was sad. Sasuke had no interest in making friends. On the other hand, it was almost sweet that he was willing to at least consider it for her sake.

"If you want me to be completely honest, I have no interest in them. You and Naruto are the only people that I really care about in this village. But if it would make you happy, I'd be willing to at least make the attempt." He says and leans in, kissing her again.

Hinata was about to reply to that when he kissed her again. She knew that this was a bad idea. She should push him away. The Hyuga would should lie and say that she just didn't feel that way about him.

Sasuke was too smart to believe that though. Her mind might very well know that returning his kisses was a very bad idea, but her body didn't care. Her body quite liked the attention actually.

"You should at least try. Do you really want to live such an isolated existence?" Hinata whispers as she breaks the kiss.

"It wouldn't be isolated. We wouldn't be alone. Besides, I may have no desire to socialize outside of our family, but that doesn't mean you can't. You can cultivate as many friendships as you desire. It doesn't bother me." He tells her.

"…" Hinata is speechless.

 _ **OUR FAMILY?!**_ Did he really just say our family? How did he go from kissing her twice to married with children?

"You asked what I chose you for. I was just answering your question. I don't expect it to happen overnight, but I want to restore my Clan with you." Sasuke informs her.

"You want me to have your children?" Hinata stammers in shock.

It was one thing for him to be nice to her. She would even be relieved if he wanted to be friends. That meant he still carved healthy bonds. She could also almost understand him kissing her, but he wanted her to have his children?! Where had this come from?!

"Eventually, yes." He replies as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Hinata didn't know how to respond to that. Yes, he was nice to her. In his own unique way, Sasuke did seem to care about her well-being. She couldn't deny that she was attracted to him and he was a phenomenal kisser, but he wasn't just asking her out. He was basically proposing!

There were a million reason why that was a bad idea. First of all, he wasn't entirely mentally stable. There was his reputation. Her father would never approve. She didn't know what would happen if the Byakugan and Sharingan bloodlines merged. The list went on and on.

"Sasuke, I think you are…confused. You barely know me. Do you really want me to be the mother of your children? We never even talked before you started your treatments." She protests.

"I know enough. You're strong, kind, loyal, and beautiful. I also like the feeling of your lips against mine and I enjoy having you in my arms. I miss you when you are away. The duration of our relationship negate any of that." He states as if he was solving a math problem.

Hinata would laugh, if he wasn't serious. That was just _so Sasuke._ In his mind, apparently there was a formula for love or at least Clan Restoration. If you met all the criteria, that was that to him.

"Sasuke, love doesn't work that way. You can't just come up with a list and wait for someone to come along, who matches it." She says.

"I don't see why not. It seems to be working well so far. You didn't mind it a few minutes ago, when you were kissing me." Sasuke counters and glides his hands up down the length of her arms in a gentle caress.

That felt good. She really shouldn't get goosebumps from that. Her body was currently launching some kind of mutiny against her mind. That was the only logical explanation.

"I should probably go. I have other patients that I need to check on. I'll be back tomorrow." Hinata informs him in a rush, practically slurring her words together in her nervousness.

"Alright. I didn't expect you to jump into my arms right away. I don't mind doing this the proper way, but don't try to lie to me. I'm not going to believe you, if you try to say that you just want to be friends. You wouldn't have kissed me that way, if that was the case." Sasuke smirks and Hinata could feel her face heating up.

"I'll s-ee you tomorrow." The bluenette says and darts off quickly.

Sasuke sighs. Maybe he shouldn't have pushed that far and so fast. He probably shouldn't have been so direct about what she wanted. It had just slipped out though. Well at least he knew that she was attracted to him now. That was a start.

Hinata races off. She heads towards Kurenai's house. Maybe her Sensei would be able to fix this. She didn't know what else to do.

Kurenai was her teacher. Hinata trusted her. That and the Genjutsu Mistress was one of the few ninjas in the Leaf who had a normal, healthy relationship. (Until Asuma died in battle, but that certainly wasn't Kurenai's fault!)

"Kurenai Sensei! Are you home?" Hinata asks as she knocks on the door.

It didn't take long for the other ninja to answer it. Kurenai blinks. She steps aside and gestures for her panicked student come inside.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" The red eyed woman inquires.

"It's a patient. He's acting very strangely. I need your help. I don't know what to do. I don't want to report it to Tsunade. I don't want to get him in trouble." The Hyuga woman replies.

Kurenai blinks. A patient? A MALE patient was behaving strangely towards Hinata and she didn't want to tell Tsunade? This could only mean one thing. One of Hinata's patients had made a romantic or sexual overture towards her.

"I'll try to help, but you'll have to tell me exactly what happened first." She says.

"He kissed me. He said he wants a family with me, but he barely knows me. That and he's recovering from a very serious injury. So I'm not sure how stable he is right now emotionally." Hinata explains.

 _"_ A name would be nice, Hinata." Kurenai states.

Hinata just shakes her head. She couldn't possibly give Kurenai his name. Her Sensei would likely tell her to run as far away from him as possible. Not that Hinata could entirely blame her, that was the logical thing to do in this situation.

"I can't do that. It would be a violation doctor-patient confidentiality." The medic says.

"Alright. Well did he ONLY kiss you? Did he try to go further? It's one thing for him to tell you that he wants you and kiss you, it's another if he pushes the issue further than you are comfortable with." Kurenai observes.

Hinata shakes her head. No, Sasuke had kissed her. He'd made it clear that he wanted to do more, but it wasn't like he had assaulted her.

"Just kissing." She insists.

"Well that's good. I suppose it depends how you feel about him. While it's frowned on for medics to be involved with their patients, sooner or later everyone comes through the hospital. If he's a long-term patient, I don't think anyone would really bat an eyelash." Kurenai says.

"I don't know how I feel about him. He's a really good kisser and he's attractive, but he's also sadistic. He's never acted that way towards me, but I know that he has threatened people and he scared the other medics badly." She admits.

Kurenai nods in sympathy. Hinata had apparently fallen for or at least attracted the attention of a _"bad boy."_ Almost every woman went through this phrase. Sometimes they could be "reformed," but most of the time it was better just to walk away. It was very rare for a leopard to change its spots.

"Well if he's sadistic towards others, it might be best to stay away from him. Ask to be reassigned. It happens all the time." She says.

"I don't know if that's a good idea. He'd realize what was going on and I did promise him that I would see him tomorrow. Sasuke might lash out, if I don't keep my promise." Hinata says.

The Genjutsu's eyes widen. Hinata had slipped. She had used the patient's name. Sasuke Uchiha had kissed Hinata and wanted her to have his children?!

"It's…Sasuke?" She asks in disbelief.

"I didn't mean to say his name! Please forget I said that." Hinata pleads.

"Hinata, it would be one thing if this was a civilian or even just a regular ninja, but this is Sasuke Uchiha. He's very dangerous and not mentally stable. You are playing with fire here. Damn it. I don't know which is more dangerous. Continuing to work with him or not continuing to work with him." She mutters.

Hinata nods. She knew what her Sensei said was true. She just didn't know what she was supposed to do about it.

"I did promise him that I would see him tomorrow. Maybe, he'll lose interest. He decided he wanted me out of the blue, maybe he'll lose interest just as quickly." Hinata muses.

"Possibly. Be careful, Hinata. I don't know what goes on in that head of his and I'm not really sure that I want to." The dark haired woman states.

"I'll be careful." Hinata promises.

Meanwhile back at the hospital, Tsunade marches down to the bottom floor to face Sasuke. She couldn't let this slide. She had seen the security tape. Sasuke had kissed Hinata _**TWICE.**_

"Well I guess that answers that question. There are security cameras after all." Sasuke observes with a smirk when he saw the blonde head towards him.

"We were not foolish enough to leave you completely unmonitored. I don't know what sort of game you are playing, but it ends now." The elder ninja snaps at him.

Tsunade could be an issue. She certainly had a lot of pull in this village, but more importantly she could influence Hinata. Sasuke was not going to allow the busty blonde to talk Hinata out of a relationship with him.

"What makes you think it's a game? Besides, I was fully pardoned. The Hokage is powerful position, but last I checked you can't forbid citizens from pursuing whatever romantic relationships they desire." Sasuke says and tries to keep his tone neutral.

The Hokage's lips curl back in displeasure. She barely managed to suppress a snarl. Legally, Sasuke was right. She couldn't forbid a consensual relationship. Though she was not entirely certain it was consensual.

"You're right. I can't forbid it. If I find out that you are forcing her into doing anything, you will regret it Uchiha." She growls at him.

That made Sasuke see red, literally. His Sharingan activated and he slams Tsunade into the wall, almost faster than you could blink. How fucking _**DARE**_ she?!

"I would do that to HER. If you ever suggest such a thing again, I will kill you." Sasuke seethes at her.

Tsunade blinks. Sasuke was furious at her. She would have expected anger at the implied accusation, but not this much. Perhaps his feelings for Hinata were actually genuine. In his own twisted way, he might actually care for her.

"I'm glad to hear it because if it did, I would be the one to kill you. She's a nice girl, Sasuke. I won't see her hurt or allow you to toy with her feelings for your own amusement." Tsunade hisses at him.

"That's not what I'm doing. Since you decided to play the part of a voyeur, you should know that she kissed back." Sasuke taunts her.

Tsunade felt enraged at the taunt. The last Uchiha was trying to imply that she was some sort of deviant. Damn him. It was a cheap trick, but an effective one.

"I was not playing the part of a voyeur and you well know it." She snarls.

"Yes, you were. This entire village loved to watch my Clan as if we were animals in a zoo. I'm surprised you haven't demanded to witness the restoration of my Clan personally. After all, you are worried I would hurt her!" Sasuke continues.

"Uchiha, you have such a filthy mouth and mind! You are twisted. I should get you into therapy immediately, but you would just traumatize the counselor!" The busty blonde snaps at him.

Sasuke smirks. Yes, yes he would. That would be fun. Though the bitch would probably tattle on him to Hinata, if he scared off the counselor.

"Yes, I would. You should know what happens now to people who try to fuck with my head. Tell me, how is Ibiki doing? Did his knees stop shaking yet?" Sasuke asks in mock concern.

That did it. Tsunade moves to strike him. This brat had it coming to him for years. He might have started off as a lonely child, but he was now a very wicked man. The only language he really understood was that of violence.

Sasuke blocks her. His hand grabs hers with his own. He glares at her with such hatred that it almost took her breath away.

"You shouldn't attack me, unless you are prepared to kill me or to die yourself. I want Hinata. That doesn't mean that I'm going to become your punching bag. Though I suppose killing you would, upset her. That's the only reason you are still breathing." Sasuke warns her.

Tsunade's eyes narrow. She knew that Sasuke wouldn't hesitate to kill her, if given the chance. She wasn't going to give him one though.

"You seem to think you are actually the one in control here. I'll have to update your psychiatric report to include delusions of grandeur." She taunts him.

"You can put whatever you want in that report. It's true. We both know that you can't kill me. Not now anyway. Maybe you could have done it when I first came here. I don't need full use of my new arm to do it. I just need access to my chakra." The last Uchiha warns her.

The blonde bristles. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she knew that he was right. As it stood, Naruto was the only one who could possibly restrain Sasuke through force. And for some reason, Hinata might be able to restrain him by batting her eyelashes at the psychotic man.

"What do you think Hinata will say, when I tell her that you are threatening me?" She demands.

"Nothing. You aren't suicidal enough to tell her that. At least I don't think you are." He stares her down, Sharingan glaring at her as if he really was a demon.

The next day Hinata returns back to the hospital. Her heart was pounding for two reasons. First, she didn't know what she was going to say to Sasuke about his "proposal." Second, it occurred to her that the security tapes would show Sasuke kissing her. Which meant Tsunade knew. Sakura might even know.

She rushes to the lowest floor to asses the damage. Hinata hoped that she wasn't too late. She could only imagine the confrontation that might have already occurred between Sasuke and Tsunade.

"Sasuke, there are security tapes. Tsunade might have seen us…together." Hinata exclaims as she approaches him.

"Oh yeah. She saw us. Don't worry, I talked to her about it. Let's just say she's not happy about it, but it doesn't matter. The Hokage can't forbid people from having a relationship." He says with a shrug.

"Please tell me that you didn't threaten her." Hinata pleads.

"Do you want me to lie to you? I made it clear that I didn't care for her insinuations that I would hurt you. She's not injured though." He states.

Hinata sighs in relief. The Hokage was okay. Thank God for small miracles. Then she frowns at his tone. Sasuke's tone suggested that he would have killed her, if he thought that Hinata wouldn't be upset about it.

Sasuke wasn't like most people. He was more like a black panther or some other predator that had taken human form. He was beautiful, strong, and very deadly.

He was highly intelligent, but largely a creature of instinct. He was also a wounded animal that might lash out at any moment. He was a wild animal that she and the Leaf Village had no idea how to deal with. This might not end well.


	7. Chapter 7

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I'm not sure how physically close the Hyuga Estate and Uchiha District were, but I'm going on the assumption they were on opposite ends of the village. I get the impression that the Uchihas were all kinda corralled into the outskirts of the village. That may or may not be cannon.

 **Chapter Warning:** Sakura confronts Sasuke about his feelings towards Hinata. So Sasuke may come off as somewhat cruel or callous here. However, I think that if he hasn't scared you away yet, you don't mind a darker Sasuke.

Chapter Seven

A few days later and Sasuke was getting cleared for release from the hospital. He noticed Sakura was acting strangely around him. Her green orbs were somehow displaying hurt, anger, and confusion all at once. She hadn't said anything to him that was unusual, but the kicked puppy look was too much for him to take.

"If you have something to say, say it." He states bluntly.

"Alright. I will. I know what you are doing with Hinata. I don't like it, Sasuke." The pink haired woman replies honestly.

"And what do you think that I'm doing with her? Go on, Sakura. You've never been one to hold your tongue. Don't start now." He snaps at her.

Sakura bites her lower lip and her eyes narrow in determination. She honestly didn't know why Sasuke was attempting to seduce the other medic, but she had her suspicions. Most of which involved the Byakugan.

"You're trying to seduce her. Hinata is a Hyuga. She has a powerful bloodline trait. You want to restore your Clan and marrying the Hyuga Heiress would be the perfect way to do that." His former teammate says and then pauses, as if unsure if she should continue.

Sasuke was frankly kicking himself for not realizing Sakura knew sooner. Of course she would know. She was Tsunade's apprentice. The busty Hokage had probably informed Sakura almost immediately after their confrontation. Damn it. This was going to be annoying.

"Oh don't stop now, Sakura. You are weaving quite the intriguing tale." Sasuke states in a deceptively neutral voice.

"Fine! You have always been smart. You know that it would be a strategically good match. If you married her, your family would have an alliance with the largest clans in the Leaf. A Clan that has its own bloodline. The possibilities for what would happen if an Uchiha and a Hyuga had children are almost endless and you know enough about genetics to realize that." She snaps at him.

He wanted to deny that, but it was accurate. Those reasons had certainly factored into his decision to choose Hinata. They were far from the only reasons though.

"I can't deny that all of that has its appeal, but that's not the entire story. Has it ever occurred to you that I might actually desire her for reasons that have nothing to do with her Clan?" Sasuke practically hisses at her.

Sakura eyes Sasuke warily. He had never shown a romantic interest in anyone before. The odds of him falling for the shy Heiress seemed low. Still he was legitimately angry about her "accusations." Maybe there was something there.

She shakes her head. No. Sasuke was Sasuke. He was probably just playing mind games. Knowing him, the last Uchiha was likely getting some sort of twisted amusement from toying with her.

"It hasn't. You've never been interested in anyone, especially not her. I doubt you even said two words to Hinata before you left the Leaf. So why would you suddenly want her now? It's obvious. She's a Hyuga. That's why. I'm not going to let you use her like that." The medic thunders at him.

"How would you know? It's not as if you ever asked me about what I wanted! It's possible that I've liked her since our Academy days, for all you know. Maybe I just didn't want to court someone before I killed Itachi. Perhaps I didn't want her to know that I liked her because she was in love with Naruto. You never would have known. Go on Sakura, what's my favorite color? How about my favorite food?" Sasuke demands.

Sakura blinks. Well it was POSSIBLE that was true. Sasuke wasn't the most expressive individual, outside of battle. Still she doubted it. She didn't get what his favorite color and food had to do with anything.

"Sasuke, we both know that you weren't secretly in love with Hinata. Don't even try to play that game. Your favorite color and food? Red and rice balls?" She asks.

"Black and tomatoes. You claimed to be in love with me, but you don't know the first thing about me. So how would you know, if I was in love with someone else? You never bothered to ask." The last Uchiha demands.

Sakura took a step back. She felt like she had just been struck. Sasuke hadn't attacked her physically, but his words stung. He was right. She didn't know his favorite color and food, but that wasn't what was important now.

The medic reminds herself, that she was more worried about Hinata than Sasuke's opinion of her at the moment. She was going to protect her friend from whatever game Sasuke was playing. Hinata could get seriously hurt, if Sakura didn't step in.

"Somehow I doubt you are in love with her. You're right. I should have taken the time to get to know you better, but that doesn't change things. I'm not going to let you use her like this." Sakura growls at him.

Sakura felt a slight breeze and suddenly tenses up when she realizes Sasuke had darted behind her. He had a kunai against her throat. This was bad.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance, if you feel that way. You are going to have to kill me, if you want to keep me away from her." He whispers.

Sakura felt herself shiver. His breath was so warm on the back of her neck. She could feel his lips almost brush against her ear as he spoke. It was almost hypnotic.

"I don't want to have to kill you, Sasuke. You have a second chance. You can start over. So please, just stop whatever this is." She half pleads and half threatens him.

"I know that I have a second chance. I'm going to take full advantage of it." Sasuke says as he leaves the hospital.

Damn it! She couldn't believe this. Whether or not Sasuke's feelings for Hinata were sincere, might not matter. He was clearly going to pursue her either way. Maybe she should talk to Naruto about it. Sasuke might listen to him!

Meanwhile Hinata was back at Kurenai's place. She needed someone to talk to. Her former Sensei was the only person that Hinata felt wouldn't judge her about the _**Sasuke Situation.**_ (That is what Hinata had mentally dubbed it.)

"What are you going to do? He's being released from the hospital today." Kurenai asks.

"I don't know. There aren't cameras watching every move he makes now." She mumbles.

"You had best decide. Sasuke is probably going to seek you out at some point. I doubt he'll wait very long to do it either." Her Sensei states.

Hinata nods in agreement. She knew that the Genjutsu Mistress was right. Sasuke had more or less proposed to her. It was almost a given that he would seek her out.

Her eyes widen in realization. What if he went to the Hyuga Estate to find her? She could only imagine the confrontation that would result when her father saw Sasuke. He wouldn't be crazy enough to actually tell Hiashi that he was courting her, would he?

"I have to go. My family doesn't know about Sasuke. If he shows up at the Estate, it will be a disaster." She says and bids her Sensei farewell as she races towards her family home.

Sasuke was heading towards the market. His home was finished, but he needed to buy some food. He smirks as he begins browsing.

He'd never had much interest in shopping, until now. The expressions on the villagers' faces were absolutely priceless. An amusing combination of awe, shock, terror, hatred, disbelief, and wariness.

He begins selecting some food when he felt Hinata's chakra. He'd never have Karin's sensory abilities, but he could Hinata's was very distinctive. She was a brave kitten. Seeking him out.

Hinata blinks. It was an odd sight. Seeing Sasuke doing something as normal as shopping for produce was… _strange._ Still in a way, she was relieved. It looked like he wasn't heading towards the Hyuga District.

The Uchihas and Hyugas lived on opposite ends of the village. She had never really pondered why that was. Now she got the sneaking suspicion that the Leaf didn't want the two Clans to mix. Likely for the very same reasons, that Sasuke wanted her. Who knew what would happen, if the bloodlines were merged?

"Sasuke." She calls out softly.

"Morning, Hinata." He replies as he shoves some money into the hands of the clerk for his purchases.

The Hyuga Heiress eyes him in confusion. _"Morning, Hinata?"_ He was acting as if they were just acquaintances. That was not how you greeted someone that you had just "proposed" to a few days before.

"How are you feeling?" She asks.

"Better. It's nice not to be locked up in a hospital room." The last Uchiha replies casually.

He tries to hide his smirk. Their conversation was far from scandalous, but even just acknowledging her presence was achieving the desired effect. By the end of the day, he was sure their morning greetings would be the talk of the village.

Sasuke briefly contemplates giving them something to really talk about. He could kiss her. That would likely cause the entire Council to die from shock. It was tempting. He decides against it though. It was too soon.

"That's good. Would you mind me having another look at your arm? I didn't get a chance before you left the hospital." She says.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He hadn't expected her to be that sneaky. It was a clever ploy to get him alone. He suspected he was in for the closest thing that Hinata would ever give to a tongue lashing and she didn't want the crowd to see it. Sasuke shrugs and nods.

"Alright. I suppose it's always good to get a second opinion." Sasuke says as he walks off with her.

"Did that really just happen?" Shikamaru asks Shino.

"I think it did. Should we go after them?" He asks and Shikamaru shakes his head.

If Hinata felt it was safe enough to be alone with Sasuke, it was probably for a good reason. That and if the Uchiha noticed them spying on the twosome, it wouldn't end well. There was really only one logical solution. Naruto.

"Let's get Naruto. I don't think Sasuke is planning on trying anything. He left with her too publicly for that. This is still a drag though. I'd feel guilty if we didn't do something. Let's go get Naruto." He says and walks off with Shino.

Hinata walks side by side with Sasuke. It was a strange feeling. She felt like she was entering a burial ground as she walked inside the Uchiha District with him. Most of the buildings had been reduced to rubble. There was only one in the center of the District that looked completely untouched.

"You don't have to tread that lightly, kitten. You aren't going to wake up any ghosts." Sasuke says in amusement as he opens the door for her, a few minutes later.

"Gh-osts?!" She asks and looks around nervously.

"It was a joke. There aren't any ghosts here. I'd say they don't exist, but I've seen far too many people brought back from the dead. So I can't completely dismiss the possibility. There aren't any around here though." He assures her.

That seems to settle Hinata down. If there were any ghosts here, Sasuke would know about them. She mentally scolds herself for being so silly.

"Oh good." She says, not sure of what else she should say.

"That was clever of you and unexpectedly deceptive. Coming up with the excuse that you wanted to see my arm. You likely negated the most…interesting of the rumors that will be going around." Sasuke observes.

The Hyuga Heiress blinks. It almost sounded like Sasuke was getting some sort of kick out of this. Did he really think it was _funny?_

Had he purposely chosen to go to a public place because he knew that she would find him? Did he want rumors about them to be spread throughout the village? Had she walked straight into a "trap?"

"You planned that. You WANTED people to see us together." She accuses him.

"Not exactly. I really did need to pick up some food. I hoped that you would assume that I would go to your family's home. To get from the hospital to your Estate, you had to pass through the market. But I'm not going to deny that I hoped you would decide to "confront" me." He admits.

Sasuke calmly begins putting the groceries away. It would be good if she saw him doing normal things, he decided. Until now, she mostly knew him as a ninja. She didn't really know him as a person yet.

That wasn't from a lack of trying on her part. Hinata seemed to have a sincere desire to be friends with everyone she met. While he was being treated at the hospital, she did try to get to know him. He just had been fairly evasive about anything personal. That wasn't her fault.

"That was very sneaky!" She scolds him.

"Hinata, we are ninjas. Being "sneaky" is part of what we do. Are you hungry?" He asks.

Hinata couldn't believe this. He had tricked her into coming to his home and now he was asking her if she wanted to stay for lunch? Actually, she could believe it. This was the man who had asked her to have his children before they even went out on a date.

"No. I'm not really hungry. Sasuke, I…don't really know what to say to you. Are you still…have you changed your mind about everything? You are acting more like someone who wants to be friends than lovers." Hinata asks.

"I haven't changed my mind. If you prefer, I could just throw you over my shoulder, carry you to the bedroom, and we could become lovers today. I just thought that you might prefer a more traditional courtship." Sasuke says.

"No! No! This is fine. You don't have to throw me over your shoulder. You just got a new arm not that long ago and that would likely be really painful. And I'm not…ready to see your bedroom." She stammers out and blushes as red as one of his beloved tomatoes.

Sasuke was idly impressed by how red she could blush. It was a bit odd that a ninja could blush so easily. She really was such an innocent kitten. Quite honestly, he was surprised that she even said the word lovers without turning red.

"Over my good shoulder and that's fine. I don't expect you to fall into my arms that easily." He assures her.

That was probably part of the attraction, he mused. Hinata had never thrown herself at him. She was completely innocent in every respect. He'd be shocked, if she had ever gone further than kissing.

He was used to being chased. Doing the chasing, was a new experience for him. It was nice that she wouldn't just jump into his bed, the moment that he made his intentions clear. It meant that she had standards. A Matriarch should expect her potential lover to prove himself worthy first.

"Oh. Does it still hurt though?" She asks, trying to steer the conversation onto safer grounds.

"It's tender. I'm not throwing you over that shoulder anytime soon. My other shoulder works just fine though." Sasuke says with a smirk and Hinata blushes even more. (If such a thing was possible.)

"Well that's good. I'm sure it will be back to normal in no time." She says quickly, deciding not to comment about that last part.

He nods and finishes putting the groceries away. Mentally, he sighs. Sasuke would have to fess up about Sakura. It was likely she'd seek Hinata out and tattle on him otherwise.

"I don't want you to think that I'm hiding things from you. You are probably going to be upset with me, but I had a discussion with Sakura earlier." He begins.

Hinata blinks. Discussion? Did Sasuke mean an actual discussion or was Sakura currently in the ICU?

"You didn't attack her, did you?" The bluenette asks nervously.

"Not exactly. It was mostly talking. Though I did hold a kunai against her throat. That was more for show than anything else though." He replies.

For show?! He held a kunai against someone's throat for show? Hinata didn't even know how to respond to that. Still despite whatever other faults Sasuke may have, she had never actually known him to lie. If he said that he hadn't injured Sakura, he was most likely telling the truth.

"What'd you say to her?" She demands.

"I told her the truth. She doesn't know anything about me and she has no right to try to "save" you from me. She didn't even know my favorite color or favorite food. How can you claim to be in love with someone, when you don't even know such basic facts about them?" Sasuke answers her.

Hinata mentally winces. Of course, Sakura would know. Damn it. The pink haired woman was likely lucky to be alive.

"I'm sure she knows a great deal about you. She was your teammate and maybe the topics never came up. Besides, you want to restore your Clan with me and you don't know my favorite food or color." Hinata counters.

"Cinnamon rolls and lavender." He tells her.

Hinata blinks. Alright. He DID know her favorite color and food. She had cinnamon rolls a few times at the hospital, so maybe that wasn't exactly hard to figure out. She wasn't entirely certain how he had guessed her favorite color though.

"Alright. You do know. That still doesn't change the fact that she cares about you. You shouldn't threaten her or anyone else like that. It's not normal to hold a kunai to someone's throat just to make a point!" She protests.

"She doesn't care about me. She cares about an idealized version of me that doesn't exist. I won't raise a kunai against her again, if it makes you feel better though." He offers.

Sasuke apparently was willing to humor her. Hinata doubted he saw anything wrong with threatening to slit someone's throat. That was a very disturbing thought. It was one thing to do it in battle, it was another to make such threats during regular conversation!

"Good. It's a start…" She mumbles.

He shakes his head. Telling Hinata that he had threatened Sakura, probably hadn't won him over any points. Still it was better to "confess" now, before Sakura told Hinata behind his back.

He walks over to Hinata and stands behind her. He runs his hands along the length of her arms in a gentle caress. To the rest of the world, he didn't give a damn if they saw him as some kind of monster. But it was important that Hinata not be afraid of him.

"I know that our relationship hasn't been a conventional one and that's my fault, but I DO want to make you happy. So I'll try to keep the death threats to a minimum." He says and kisses her cheek.

Hinata shivers. It wasn't from fear though. Sasuke apparently wouldn't bat an eyelash at threatening the Council and Sakura, but he wouldn't threaten her. Well at least she didn't think so. Her body really needed to listen to her mind and stop reacting to his touches.

"I would appreciate that. Keeping death threats to a minimum. Sasuke, violence can't be your first solution to everything. If someone upsets you, you can't just pull a kunai on them like that." She says.

"Old habits die hard. I learned the hard way in the Sound to assert yourself quickly." Sasuke responds.

Hinata figured that this probably counted as an apology for Sasuke. She simply nods her head. Well it didn't matter if he stopped threatening people because he realized it was wrong or if he was simply doing it to make her happy, the end result was still the same.

"What happened to you while you were there?" She dares herself to ask.

"To me? Besides intensive training, not much. It was more what I witnessed." He admits.

The Hyuga Heiress thought about pressing him further. She decides against it. Sasuke would open up, when he wanted to. Trying to force him to do so before he was ready, would likely prove disastrous.

"If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here." She whispers.

"I know. Maybe you can teach me how to be _kinder."_ He suggests.

Sasuke really didn't have any interest in being kind, except to her and their future children. He just knew that she was feeling sympathetic towards him at the moment and that was a good thing. He lightly brushes his lips along the back of her neck.

He smirks against her skin when he heard her gasp. That was the good type of gasp though. She _liked_ what he was doing.

"S-asuke." She calls out softly and squirms.

It really shouldn't feel that good. Sasuke had proven repeatedly that he had no problem threatening her friends. Her rational mind knew that she should shove him away, yet part of her was enjoying the gentle kisses.

"I like it when you say my name that way." He says and bites down lightly, gently sucking at her collarbone.

Hinata couldn't help but moan. That felt really good. She knew that she was entering very dangerous territory here. If Sasuke hadn't realized it before, that moan would do it. Now he knew that the physical attraction was at least mutual and that would only encourage him. Damn it!

Elsewhere in the Leaf, Shino and Shikamaru had found Naruto. Shikamaru sighs and takes a deep breath. This was such a drag. He knew that he was going to explain to the boisterous blonde what was going on.

"Naruto, Sasuke just left the market with Hinata. I think they are going to his District. They seemed to be getting along alright. She mentioned wanting to take a look at his arm. Still I don't think it's a good idea to leave them alone together." Shikamaru says.

Shino nods in agreement. He didn't want to leave his female teammate alone with Sasuke. Unfortunately, he knew that there was very little he could do to protect her from the Uchiha if he went into a rage. Naruto could though.

"Guys, aren't you overreacting a bit? I mean she's been his medic for weeks. He hasn't tried to attack her. I'm sure Hinata's fine. But if it will make you guys feel better, I'll go check it out." Naruto replies.

"It would make us both feel better." Shino agrees.

"Alright. I was gonna visit the bastard anyway." Naruto says as he heads off.

That was weird. Sasuke was actually bringing Hinata back to his home? They had been teammates for years and the only reason that the last Uchiha invited Naruto there, was to help him reconstruct it.

Maybe Sasuke had actually made a friend. Maybe he was finally learning how to communicate through something other than his fist. That would be a first.


	8. Chapter 8

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Yes, Naruto has the worst timing ever. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Some exotic applications of the Sharingan. I will put a warning before and after the short scene that describes this. It's your choice if you want to read it or not. It's not essential to the plot. I also added Clan Libraries. I don't think this is cannon, but I think it makes a lot of sense.

Eight

Sasuke smirks against the soft skin of her neck. He'd never be good at dispensing sappy declarations of love, but _**THIS**_ he was good at. His own personal experience in the carnal arts was extremely limited, but he was well versed in the theory.

 **Warning Sensual Sharingan**

The Sharingan was largely known for it's battle applications. However, there were a lot of other ways you could use it. It didn't necessarily just have to copy fighting moves. It could copy other physical movements, just fine. That included more sensual ones.

"Mmm." Hinata says as she arches back against him.

He wasn't a voyeur. It was just that people in the Sound really had no sense of shame. You'd have to be blind and deaf not to notice what was going on. Eventually, he just got used to it and decided to make the best of it.

Now he was glad he did. He knew exactly how and where to touch her to elicit the desired results. Sasuke didn't have to learn through trial and error and awkwardly fumble through with his first lover, like most people did.

"Does that feel good?" He whispers hotly into her ear as his good hand glides over her ample breasts.

This was actually the first time he'd touched a woman in that way before. Hinata still had her medic uniform on, so that somewhat obscured him from being able to fully appreciate the experience. Still he could tell that they were large, warm, and soft.

He felt his eyes bleed red. The Sharingan could be activated by strong emotions. Since Uchihas were ninjas, that was normally fear or rage. Other emotions could do the trick though. Lust was one of them.

 **End Sensual Sharingan**

Hinata found herself arching up against him. His kisses to the back of her neck felt good. She knew that she was likely blushing when his hand slide over her breasts in a gentle caress, but that felt even better.

"Yes." She confesses when she hears him ask, if it felt good.

There really was no point in lying. She was acting so wanton. Moaning and leaning into his touches like that. As she glances back at him to answer, she was startled when she saw ruby red eyes looking back at her instead of obsidian black ones.

"Sasuke, your Sharingan is on…" She exclaims.

"Don't worry. That's really norm-" Sasuke begins to answer her, but is cut off by a blonde whirlwind.

"BASTARD, ARE YOU HERE? HINATA?!" Naruto calls out as he walks into the kitchen.

Naruto's eyes widen at what he saw. Hinata was wrapped up in Sasuke's arms, with one hand on her breasts. Her neck had several lovebites on it. Really, it didn't take a genius to realize what was going on.

"Naruto, don't you know how to knock?!" Sasuke hisses at him and Hinata wiggles out of Sasuke's hold.

If she hadn't been blushing before, she definitely was now. She couldn't believe that Naruto had walked in on them like that. Hinata couldn't believe that she had allowed things to go that far. She really should know better.

"Well I didn't think that you were going to be jumping Hinata!" He exclaims.

"That's your problem. You don't think. You just charge in." Sasuke snaps at him.

Naruto was his best friend, but Sasuke was really tempted to strangle him at the moment. This was the SECOND time he had walked in on them. This was getting to be a habit.

"Yeah. Well sorry. Some people were really worried about Hinata, when they saw her leave with you. They wanted me to check on her. I think they were worried you'd attack her or something. I guess you were in a way, I mean she is covered in bite marks." Naruto observes.

"Wh-at?!" Hinata asks and touches her neck.

"You might want to look in the mirror and maybe wear some high collars for a day or two." The blonde suggests helpfully and Hinata scrambles off to go find a mirror.

Once she left, Naruto gulps. Sasuke looked positively murderous. The blue eyed ninja takes a few steps back. Yeah, the bastard looked like he wanted to Chidori his nuts off.

"So you and Hinata?" He asks nervously.

"Yes, me and Hinata. Well at least I'm TRYING to convince her that we should be together. The fact that you keep walking in on us, is not helping! I swear, it's like you do it on purpose!" Sasuke practically snarls.

The boisterous blonde blinks. Wow. Sasuke really did want to be with Hinata. The aspiring Hokage didn't know how to process that.

They couldn't possibly be any more different. Well people did say opposites attract. If that was true, then it made sense in a weird way.

He tried to picture Sasuke walking around the village, holding someone's hand. He couldn't do it. His mind just refused to wrap itself around the concept of Sasuke _dating_ someone. It was just too weird.

"I guess that explains why you were so suspiciously well-behaved at the hospital. You like her. I mean it's hard to picture you liking anyone, but especially Hinata. She doesn't seem like your type. Does Sakura know?" The blonde asks.

Sasuke glares at Naruto. Idiot. He was going to have to _like_ someone if he wanted to restore his Clan eventually. (Well actually like wasn't a requirement, but it was certainly helpful when it came to Clan Restoration.)

"Yes, I like her. Yes, that's why I cooperated when I was a patient. Why the Hell are you thinking about what type of woman I would find appealing, anyway? Yes, Sakura knows. Sakura isn't too happy about it. Not that it matters." Sasuke answers him.

"Well you're my best friend. I want you to be happy. So of course I've thought about it. I don't know, I guess I always thought your type was more…aggressive. Crazier. Maybe like a younger Anko or something. What do you mean it doesn't matter? Sakura, is your friend. You should care if you upset her!" Naruto protests.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. A younger Anko? Did Naruto think that he was into bondage or something? When he thought of Anko, he pictured whips being used in the bedroom. He wasn't vanilla in his sexual preferences, but he drew the line at anything that might result in scars or bleeding.

"I'm not into that level of crazy. As for Sakura, I wouldn't say she's my friend. She's my former teammate. She's a powerful ninja and I respect her skills, but she is not my friend. I am a free man now. I was pardoned. I'm going to pursue whoever I want. I'm not required to be with anyone out of a sense of guilt." Sasuke snaps at Naruto.

"Good to know because I can only imagine how messed up your kids with an Anko type would be. I'm not saying that you have to be with her. It's a good sign that you can still feel guilt though. So you regret how things turned out between you and Sakura?" He asks.

"My only regret is that she didn't get the message that I wasn't interested sooner. I didn't mean to hurt her, but I never led her on." The last Uchiha replies with a shrug.

He was actually grateful to Sakura for once. She had unintentionally shifted the conversation away from him and Hinata. That was something of a relief.

"Well no. You didn't, but still. So does Hinata like you back?" Naruto asks curiously.

"She lets me kiss her. I'd say she does. Well at least subconsciously. Hinata's not like you. She's not reckless. It's likely that she has a whole list of reasons why she shouldn't be involved with me. She gave me the doctor-patient excuse at first." Sasuke says.

"Well yeah. Doctors shouldn't really be involved with their patients. So I can see that. Why her, though?" Naruto asks.

Elsewhere in the Sasuke's house, Hinata had found a bathroom. Thankfully, it had a mirror. The mirror was large enough that she could see her neck easily. She slides out of her top to see how extensive Sasuke's "love bites," really were.

Naruto wasn't joking. Her neck was covered in marks. None of them were particularly dark. She imagined they'd fade after a day or two, but still. She was going to follow the blonde's advice. High collars were a must in the near future.

"It's a good thing he showed up, when he did." She mumbles to herself.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. Hinata only really had two defenses to justify allowing him to touch her that way. It was only natural that her body would respond to his sensual touches. The Hyuga Heiress just wasn't used to being touched that way. It had been a sneak attack. That and Sasuke was very attractive. He might not be entirely mentally stable, but no one could deny that he was very nice to look at. (Even the Mizukage had said as much once.)

"If I don't say something soon, this is going to get out of hand." She mutters.

She should tell him to stop. Hinata realized that. Sasuke would likely listen, if she insisted that she wasn't interested.

The only problem was she wasn't sure if she _**wanted**_ him to stop. He was an excellent kisser and very good with his hands. When he was alone with her, he was fine. While not the most talkative person, he was an attentive listener and far from mute.

"This will have to work." She says as she grabs a scarf and wraps it around her neck to cover the love bites.

She knew that it was wrong, but she liked being the center of attention for once. Even most of her friends treated her as an afterthought. She was the nice, quiet girl in the background. Her more serene personality was easily overshadowed by most of the other Rookies.

Sasuke definitely paid attention to her though. The last Uchiha apparently even took the time to note her favorite color and food. These were little details, but still it was touching in a way that he cared enough to notice them.

Hinata sighs. She was grateful that it was winter. At least no one would question the scarf. She heads back to the kitchen to face the music. The bluenette stops outside of the kitchen when she hears Sasuke and Naruto talking. She knew that eavesdropping was unethical, but she couldn't help it.

"Why her, though?" She hears Naruto ask.

Hinata didn't need to wonder who "her" was in this case. The blonde was obviously talking about her. Naruto was asking why Sasuke wanted her. She had been wondering that herself.

She didn't think that Sasuke would lie, but she figured his answer might be more open around his friend. Hinata bit her lower lip. She felt a bit guilty, but she continues her spying.

"There are a lot of reasons really." Sasuke replies.

"Yeah. Well let's hear them. I'm not going to let you hurt her. If you aren't serious about Hinata, you should stop playing with her feelings." The other ninja snaps at him.

Hinata found herself nodding at this. Naruto was right. She really didn't know why Sasuke had decided he wanted her to be the mother of his children. The Hyuga Heiress didn't think that was a statement that Sasuke had uttered lightly, but still. Sasuke had even given a list of reasons why he wanted her, but they had all seemed rather generic. His sudden interest might disappear as quickly as it had appeared.

"She's strong. She's a Jonin. Hinata is brave enough to come down and treat me all by herself. She's kind, even to those that don't deserve it. Hinata's loyal." Sasuke begins.

Naruto raises an eyebrow. Somehow he doubted those were the only reasons. By that logic, Sasuke could have fallen for Sakura. She was also all those things.

"I know there's more to it than that." His friend demands.

"There is. I won't lie. The fact that she's a Hyuga is a bonus. I'm curious about what would happen if the bloodlines were to merge, but that's not the only reason." Sasuke continues.

"Sasuke, she is not some incubator for you to use to have super babies!" Naruto thunders at him.

Hinata was touched. Naruto was truly outraged on her behalf. She wasn't upset though. Logically, she had suspected that her bloodline did play a role in Sasuke's sudden interest in her. She just didn't know how big a role.

"Naruto, shut up and let me finish. Mostly I chose her because I know that she'll be a good mother and I feel different around her. Calmer somehow. The fact that she's beautiful is another bonus." Sasuke finishes.

"You're actually serious about her. I can't believe it. The bastard is in love! Never thought I'd see that happen." Naruto exclaims.

That's when Sasuke lost his composure. He didn't know if he was in love with Hinata or not. He'd never been in love before, so how would he recognize if he was?

He just knew that he wanted her. But he knew one thing for damn sure. He wasn't going to allow Naruto to _**JOKE**_ about his relationship with Hinata.

He slams him against the wall. His Sharingan flashes rather dangerously. His hand was around Naruto's throat in almost no time at all.

"This isn't a joke. This is serious to me. Don't reduce it down to the level of some Academy crush." Sasuke hisses at him.

"Whoa. Calm down, bastard. I was only teasing. I didn't know it was that serious. You can let me go now." The blonde says.

Sasuke sighs. He releases Naruto. It wasn't his fault. Naruto was Naruto. There were very few things outside of battle that you could get him to take seriously.

A few minutes later, Hinata walks into the kitchen. It looked like things had finally settled down. She smiles nervously at them both.

"Well I guess since you are okay, I should probably get going. I didn't mean to…interrupt you guys." He stammers out awkwardly.

"It's alright. It's nice to know that you were worried about me." Hinata says with a sweet smile.

"Yeah. Always. You're my friend. If he starts being a bastard to you, let me know. I'll knock some sense into him." Naruto says cheerfully as he heads off.

Sasuke shakes his head. Knock some sense into him? Hmpf. More like the other way around.

Once Naruto was gone, he pulls Hinata back into his arms. He was fully intent on picking up where they left off. He was surprised when Hinata lightly pushed him away.

"I don't know if this is a good idea. I like you more than I should, but it's still playing with fire." She says.

"Well at least you admit that you like me. That's more progress than I expected at this point. I figured you'd deny that longer." Sasuke says.

Hinata blinks. He wasn't upset. She would never understand Sasuke. He wanted her to be the mother of his children, but wasn't upset when she said it was a bad idea for them to be together?

"Be honest with me. What concern you more? The fact that you view me as dangerous or that others wouldn't approve?" He asks and caresses her cheek.

"Both. I don't think that you would hurt me, but I know you would hurt others. I also don't really think that my father or Clan would approve. You have a history that is…concerning." She mumbles.

He snorts in amusement. Concerning was such a tactful way to put it. He couldn't really deny anything she was saying. Sasuke was capable of doing a lot of things, but lying to her wasn't one of them. (That thought should have disturbed him, but he decides to examine it another day.)

"I can't really argue with any of that. Does it matter though? As long as you know that I wouldn't hurt you, does it really matter if I don't particularly care for anyone else? I would never ask you to choose between me and your family. I'd find a way to at least get your father's approval. He is the Clan Head. The others would follow suit." The dark haired ninja replies.

Hinata tries to picture Sasuke asking for Hiashi's blessing. It was an utterly bizarre image. One possibility ended up with her father fainting in shock. Another ended with Sasuke killing Hiashi in a brutal rage. Still another finished with both of them dead. This wouldn't end well.

"How do you think you could get my father to approve of this?" She asks warily.

"I'd talk to him. He might not like or trust me, but he knows about the Sharingan. He knows that my Clan is just beginning to reform. If we restart with an alliance between the Hyugas like this, in a way…we'd be in their debt. In the long-term, it'd be a wise match and I imagine he's just as curious as I am when it comes to merging the bloodlines." He says bluntly.

Sasuke might be insane, but it was a very logical insanity. He looked at things from a Point A to Point B perspective. Emotions, didn't really factor in. The Hyuga Heiress couldn't exactly disagree with his assessment though.

Her father probably would look at it that way. Before the Massacre, their Clans scarcely interacted. There was a natural rivalry that lingered beneath the surface though. She suspected that was because they both had eye bloodlines, so that was to be expected really.

"And you think that will convince him?" The bluenette asks softly.

"Maybe not at first. After he's had time to think on it though, it would. He's a practical man. If it really comes down to it, I could show him the Clan Library." He muses.

The Clan Library? All the Clans had a library. It was a collection of books and scrolls that were specifically about their Clan. Outsiders were simply not allowed.

Clans with a bloodline, were particularly fierce about protecting their libraries. That would be a major show of trust. It was basically showed that Sasuke thought he was going to marry Hinata and that he considered the Hyugas to be part of his Clan through the marriage.

"You would really do that? For me?" She asks in shock.

"There's almost nothing that I wouldn't do for you. I meant it when I told you that I wanted to make you happy. You aren't going to be happy, if your family disapproves of us." He states as if it was all perfectly logical.

Hinata figures that to Sasuke it probably was. He was actually serious about this. He was serious about her. She didn't know how to feel about that. Part of her felt relieved, but another part felt frightened.

Honestly, she had no idea what he would do in any given situation. She did believe him about her father though. Maybe she should talk to Hiashi before Sasuke approached him. Otherwise, that could end in a bloodbath.

"That's very romantic in a strange way." She says after awhile.

"I'm better with actions than words, but if you like romantic…I can make an effort at it." Sasuke says and kisses her forehead.

Hinata smiles. In a very twisted way, Sasuke could actually be quite sweet. She had to remind herself that he was actually very dangerous. She couldn't forget what his evaluation had said.

"I might like that. I'm still not really sure if this is a good idea. I don't want to give you the wrong impression." She says in a rush.

"You're worried that I might think you were leading me on? Don't worry about that. I know you well enough now that I know you aren't capable of doing such a thing intentionally." Sasuke informs her.

Well that was a relief at least. Maybe he wouldn't level the village if this ended badly. Still she knew that this was playing with fire.

"Can I have some time to think about this?" She asks.

"Of course. There's no rush. Though when you are thinking about it, I want you to remember this." He tells her and kisses her once more.

Meanwhile Naruto was heading back towards Shino and Kiba, when he bumped into Sakura. He sighs. He really should talk to her. The blonde wasn't sure exactly what he was going to say, but he knew that he should say something.

"Hey, Sakura." He calls out and Sakura walks over to him.

"Hey, Naruto. What are you doing?" The pink haired woman asks curiously.

"Well it's a long story. Um maybe I can buy you some ramen or something while I tell you what just happened?" The blue eyed ninja suggests.

Sakura nods. She heads to the Ramen Shop with Naruto. Did Naruto know? Did he know about Sasuke and Hinata?

"Yeah. So this is weird and all, but I guess it's actually happening. Sasuke has a thing for Hinata." He whispers.

He didn't want anyone to overhear them. Whatever was going on between those two should be kept private for now. Hinata had said she was going to treat Sasuke's arm. She hadn't said she was going on a date with him at the market. So he decides to just assume their relationship was a secret for now.

"I know. Sasuke kissed her. We caught it on the security camera. I don't know if it's mutual on her part or not. It had to be pretty shocking for him to just suddenly kiss her like that. She might have kissed back in shock or out of instinct. So I confronted him about it." She admits.

"Yeah. I know. Sasuke got pretty mad when I ended up walking on them. When Hinata went to go cover up, I asked him about it. I didn't know why he was suddenly interested. Sasuke is Sasuke. I never thought the bastard would like anyone, you know?" He asks awkwardly.

Sakura nods. The fact that Sasuke wanted anyone was hard to process. The fact that he wanted Hinata…was bizarre.

"He threatened to kill me. How did it go when you confronted him?" Sakura asks.

"Well at first we were just talking. He did shove me against a wall at one point though. He really does seem to like her. He has a pretty long list of reasons why. Leave it to the bastard to make love into a math equation. Anyway, seemed okay. So I left. He's not forcing her to stay with him." Naruto says with a shrug.

"Wait you said she left to cover up. What did you mean?" Sakura asks.

Had Sasuke and Hinata actually become lovers already? That didn't seem possible. Hinata was so shy.

"Not sure I should be the one to tell you this. It's kinda personal, but her neck had a lot of hickeys on it. She wasn't like naked or anything, if that's what you are thinking." He says quickly.

"If you had walked in on them a few minutes later, she might have been though?" Sakura demands.

"I don't know. It's possible. I mean Hinata's really shy, but Sasuke isn't. She obviously lets him kiss her and things like that. So I don't know. This is really weird." Naruto replies.

Sakura sighs. She couldn't help, but nod her head in agreement. She had never been much of a sake drinker before. Suddenly though, she had the urge to ask Tsunade if she could borrow one of her bottles. There was just no way that she was going to be able to deal with Sasuke lusting after Hinata, while she was sober.


	9. Chapter 9

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Sasuke is trying to court Hinata. So he is trying to act somewhat normal here. There will be more wickedness in other chapters though. Hiashi also gets some screen time in this one.

Chapter Nine

A few hours later, Hinata goes to see her father. He was in the Clan's training dojo. The Hyuga Heiress took a few moments to admire the grace that her father displayed during his training. Every movement was fluid and precise. This was the result of decades of training in their family's signature fighting style.

"Father, I need to speak with you." She says.

Hiashi stops his training. He raises an eyebrow. It was unlike his eldest daughter to seek him out. It was especially unlike her to interrupt his training. Instinct told him that whatever she was about to say, wasn't likely to be good news.

"Speak." He states and walks over to her.

"At the hospital, I was assigned to treat Sasuke Uchiha. I was the only neutral party that wasn't too scared to do it." She begins.

Hiashi certainly did NOT like that. He was going to have a very serious discussion with the Hokage. How could she leave the future of their Clan alone with the last Uchiha? Was she trying to get Hinata killed?

"I can not say that I approve. I will speak to Tsunade about this. Don't worry. I'm certain that I can persuade her to assign someone else to tend to him." He assures her.

"No. That's not it. Sasuke's physical therapy is over now. He's made a full recovery." Hinata says.

Hiashi blinks. Hinata had been treating Sasuke for probably weeks without his knowledge?! He did not care for that. No, he did not care for that in the slightest.

"Hinata, you should not have put yourself at risk like that. Anyone could have treated him, but I'm afraid I am confused. If he is well and you are unharmed, what is causing you to look so anxious?" He asks.

Hinata takes a deep breath. She really didn't think her father was going to take this well. Still she knew that she had to tell him. If Sasuke just charged in and her father had no forewarning, this was going to be a bloodbath.

"Sasuke was very nice to me while I treated him." She continues.

"That's unexpected, but good. I didn't realize that the Uchiha was still capable of kindness." He muses.

"He is. It's just that it's a very focused kindness. He wants your permission to court me." She mumbles in a rush.

Hiashi blinks. He could not have possibly heard her correctly. Did his daughter just say that Sasuke wanted to _**COURT**_ her?!

"Daughter, if this is your idea of a jest, it is not amusing." The Hyuga Patriarch warns her.

"I wouldn't joke about something like this, father. Sasuke really does want to be with me." She replies.

The middle aged ninja openly gapes at his daughter. There were not many things that could surprise him anymore. He had truly started to think that he had seen and heard it all. Apparently, he was wrong. Very, very wrong.

"Are you telling me this because you wish for me to make it clear you are not interested in his advances or because you return his… _affections?"_ The lavender eyed man asks cautiously.

"A little of both, maybe? I don't know. He's very kind to me. It's everyone else that he's not as kind with." Hinata answers honestly.

Well that wasn't terribly reassuring. He was somewhat relieved that for some reason Sasuke was at least civil towards to Hinata. He was pretty sure he knew why though.

"Hinata, I do not mean this as an insult. But has it occurred to you that the reason why he is treating you differently is because he is interested in merging the bloodlines?" He inquires gently.

"It has. He did admit that was part of his consideration. It's not just that though. He claims there are other reasons. Sasuke actually came up with a rather long list of reasons that have nothing to do with my Clan." She protests.

Hiashi didn't even know how to respond to this. Truly, he thought that he had prepared for every possible situation. He was a proud Patriarch. The middle aged ninja thought he knew how to protect his Clan in any situation. Apparently, he had neglected to prepare for at least one though.

"It would be best if you decide whether you return his affections or not. I am uncertain as to how to proceed until you do. Still, I will speak with him. I will try to discern whether his feelings are genuine or purely strategic in nature." He states.

The Hyuga Patriarch knew that using the word feelings and Sasuke in the same sentence was a stretch. Honestly, the only emotions he had seen that boy display since he was seven were rage, fear, loneliness, arrogance, and bloodlust. That was not exactly a good omen.

"Yes, father. I wanted to inform you of the situation. I believe he is going to seek you out soon." She confesses.

"I am grateful for the advanced notification. Had you not warned me, I do not know how I would have reacted to this unexpected turn of events. Come daughter, let us have lunch together." He offers and walks off with Hinata.

Elsewhere, Naruto sighs as he goes to find Shikamaru and Shino. He had to tell them something. They were worried about Hinata. It wouldn't be right to leave them hanging, especially after he told them that he would check on the shy Hyuga woman.

He just wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. If the blonde told them the truth, they'd think he was nuts. That or his friends would think he was joking. Naruto wished that he was. He wasn't really sure that this bizarre fairytale was going to have a happy ending.

"Well I went to the bastard's district. Hinata was with him." The blue eyed ninja begins.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asks nervously.

It was hard to picture Hinata alone with Sasuke. She was so gentle and kind. Sasuke wasn't. Shikamaru almost shuddered to think about what sort of mind games the Uchiha might play with her.

"Nothing bad. She was perfectly fine. I think the bastard is trying to be at least somewhat less of a bastard, at least to her anyway. Probably because she treated his arm. Maybe he feels grateful?" The future Hokage suggests.

Shino considers this theory. He didn't associate gratitude with Sasuke, but it made more sense than anything else. Why else would he be willing to take Hinata back to his home?

"Seems pretty out of character for him, but hopefully that's what it is. I don't want to see Hinata get hurt. This is such a drag. Who knows what is going on in his head?" Shikamaru asks with a sigh.

Naruto nods his head in agreement. He wasn't exactly lying to them. Sasuke did feel grateful for Hinata's care. That was clearly a part of it. It wasn't the whole story though. He did feel guilty for not telling his friends everything, but it couldn't be helped.

The blonde had only told Sakura because she was their teammate and he assumed that that the pink haired ninja already knew or was about to find out. Security tapes could be quite useful for keeping people informed. Shikamaru and Shino didn't know about the tapes, so there was no need to tell them everything right now.

"Yeah. I've known Sasuke forever. I still don't understand what he's thinking half the time." The blonde says with a shrug.

Shikamaru and Shino nod sympathetically. Naruto mentally breathes a sigh in relief. It looked like they were buying it so far. Eventually, he was sure that the truth would come out. It just might take awhile.

The next day, Sasuke heads to the Hyuga Estate. He waited until he knew that Hinata would be at the hospital. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable by having her watch the discussion.

Thankfully, Hiashi was a smart man. He had warned his Clan members that Sasuke might be stopping by soon. He gave them orders NOT to attack him, unless he attacked first. So far that seemed to be holding. He takes a deep breath and walks towards the entrance of the Hyuga Estate to greet the last Uchiha.

"I'd ask why you are here, but I believe I already know the reason. You wished to speak with me about Hinata, did you not?" Hiashi inquires.

Sasuke simply nods. Hinata had said she was going to speak with her father. So it wasn't surprising that he knew. It was somewhat surprising that the Hyuga Patriarch was actually willing to talk to him though.

"Very well. Follow me. I think it would be best if we took our discussion someplace more private. It is very difficult to obtain any privacy in a home full of people who can see through walls. Perhaps the Forest of Death would be best." He suggests.

"That's a little morbid, but I see your point." Sasuke replies and he follows the older man to the wicked forest.

The darker haired ninja eyes Hiashi a bit warily when they arrive. Sasuke honestly wasn't exactly sure how to broach the subject. He wished that he knew exactly what Hinata had said to her father. That would make this easier.

"Hinata tells me that the two of you became closer while she was treating your arm and that you wish to court her." The lavender eyed man states rather bluntly.

"That's accurate." Sasuke informs him.

"Obviously, I have concerns. You aren't exactly known for your serene personality. I also want to know why you have expressed this sudden interest in her. I'm not a fool. I won't take kindly towards being treated like one. I assume that her Byakugan does play a role. I want to know how large of a role." He continues on.

Sasuke had to admire the man's bluntness and composure. If he was in Hiashi's position, he probably would have been firing off more than a few Chidoris by now. He takes this as a good sign and decides that honesty was likely the best policy with the Hyuga Patriarch. He'd see through a lie.

"I am what the Leaf made me. I have reason to view most of this village with at best contempt, but I would never view her in that way. She was my physician for weeks. I never raised a hand to her or even my voice. I wouldn't hurt her. As for the Byakugan, I won't lie. That did factor into my decision. I still would have chosen to pursue her even without it though." Sasuke replies.

Hiashi circles Sasuke. His eyes scan the other man for any hints of deception. This was his daughter's safety that they were discussing. He wasn't going to risk being fooled.

There were many things that he could say about the last Uchiha that weren't particularly flattering. However, there were at least two areas that he could not fault Sasuke in. His strength and his intelligence. Sasuke was more than intelligent enough to be convincingly deceptive.

It was his job to protect his daughter. That meant he had to realize if Sasuke was playing them. After scanning his body language and expression rather intently, he couldn't find any.

"I do appreciate the honesty. If her Byakugan was not your primary consideration, what was?" He demands.

"Her kindness and empathy. She'll make an excellent mother." He states simply.

Hiashi didn't know whether to be relieved or disturbed by that. He supposed it was a bit of a relief that he was more interested in Hinata for her personality than her bloodline. It was also somewhat reassuring to realize that Sasuke was still human enough to care about how his future children would be treated by their mother. On the other hand, the fact that his first priority was children was disturbing. It was such a clinical way to approach a relationship.

"That much is true. Though I suspect you'll understand why that line of reasoning disturbs me. You barely know her." Hiashi says and metaphorically puts his foot down.

"I don't expect her to marry me and have my children tomorrow. I would like to court her first, but she's not just a passing acquaintance to me anymore. We did spend a lot of time together in the hospital. I'm not Naruto. I'm not oblivious. I notice her." Sasuke informs him.

"Good. I would never approve of a match so hastily pushed through. If you desired to marry her tomorrow, I would object rather strongly. Strongly enough to put a Gentle Fist through your heart." Hiashi warns Sasuke.

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk. He supposed it was good that Hiashi was threatening him. It meant that he cared about his daughter. He knew that if positions were reversed, he wouldn't be nearly as patient.

"Understood. I would do the same, if it was my daughter." He tells him.

"Good. Was that some jealousy that I detected when you mentioned Naruto?" Hiashi inquires.

The Hyuga Patriarch did take more than a little pleasure when he saw that Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Oh yes, that was most certainly jealousy. Well it was good that the last Uchiha cared enough about Hinata to get jealous. Though now he was more than a little worried about Naruto's safety.

"I don't have a reason to be jealous of him. He's my best friend. But when it comes to the opposite sex, he's painfully oblivious." Sasuke says.

Hiashi couldn't really argue with that. Hinata had adored Naruto for years. She had to confess her love for him and even then, the blonde had taken awhile to respond. Naruto was just a late bloomer.

He would have said the same thing about Sasuke, until yesterday. It seemed though, he had bloomed almost overnight. This was a bit jarring honestly.

"That much is true. From what little I know of you, you are going to pursue her no matter what I say. Am I correct?" He asks.

"You're correct. I would rather have your approval. It'd make her happy, but I'm not changing my mind. If she decides that she doesn't feel the same, then I will stop. But I'm not going to give up because of what someone else says." Sasuke admits.

"Well I suppose I am somewhat grateful that you had enough respect for me to tell me this face to face. I am not so pleased with the fact that you would ignore my protests though. Since you have been rather upfront with your intentions, I suppose I should return the same courtesy to you." Hiashi begins.

Sasuke nods. The conversation had gone better than he thought it would. He had half expected it to come to blows. Beating up Hinata's father, was probably not the best way to her heart. So he had hoped that it wouldn't come to that. That didn't mean he wouldn't fight Hiashi, if it came down to it though.

"My Clan is a large one. You are powerful. However, if you hurt Hinata, we will defend our own. I may lack my daughter's intricate knowledge of medical jutsus, but I know more than enough to know how to lock up your chakra network in such a way that it would prevent you from ever siring children. I don't need to defeat you. I only need to get one good hit in. Something for you to consider as you pursue her." Hiashi states.

"I'll keep that in mind. So I have your blessing?" Sasuke inquires.

"I wouldn't say that exactly. I know you are going to go through with it, with or without my say. So it is better to give my "approval." It will make Hinata less anxious. Remember what I said though. If you hurt my daughter in ANY way, I will make certain that you regret it. I will make Madara look like a cuddly kitten, if you hurt her. Never underestimate a father's love for his daughter." The Hyuga Patriarch warns him.

Sasuke smirks. He never thought he'd hear Hiashi use the phrase cuddly kitten. It was almost hysterical really. He nods his head though.

"I understand. Thank you. I'll leave you and let you get back to doing whatever it is you were doing, before I arrived." The last Uchiha says.

Hiashi nods. Sasuke flits off back towards his home. He quickly starts preparing dinner. He was going to surprise Hinata with dinner.

He had learned how to cook when he was a young child. His mother had always been more attentive than his father. He often helped her in the kitchen before the Massacre. After that horrible day, he was grateful he spent so much time with her in the kitchen. Otherwise, he would have spent most of his life living on takeout.

"The loser would probably laugh his ass off, if he saw me now. Still it's better than being forced to eat ramen every day." He muses.

Later that day, Hinata heads to the Uchiha District. She felt rather uneasy as she walked through the most empty place. It still felt like a graveyard to her. In a way, it really was.

The Hyuga Heiress had decided it was probably best if she sought him out. She really didn't know how patient Sasuke actually was. He'd said he didn't expect it to happen overnight. Still she didn't want him to show up at the hospital and give everyone a heart attack, if he got tired of waiting for her.

"Sasuke?" She calls out as she knocks on the door.

She estimates that she didn't wait longer than ten seconds before it was open. Sasuke was standing in the door way. Well there were advantages to dating another ninja. Ninjas were fast and had excellent reflexes.

"I'm glad you came. I was going to get you, once it was ready. But this is easier. Come in." Sasuke says and he moves to the side, so she could enter.

"Once what was ready?" She asks cautiously.

"Dinner." He informs her and Hinata blinks.

Sasuke could cook? Well she didn't really know why she was so surprised. It was likely he was smart enough to learn while he was in the Sound. Probably to prevent being poisoned or drug while he built up his immunities to such tactics.

"You cooked for me?" She asks in surprise.

"Of course. I told you that I wanted to do this the right way. It felt tacky to take you to the Ramen Shop and if we went anywhere else together in public, it would cause a scene. I didn't think you were ready for that." Sasuke says with a shrug.

"Good point." HInata agrees.

She could just imagine the looks on everyone's faces if they went out to dinner together. It had been bad enough when they left the market. She knew that the rumors were likely flying and tried her best to tune them out.

"Do you like steak?" He asks.

"Yes, I like steak." The bluenette answers him and Sasuke nods, leading her to the dinning room.

Hinata blinks. She hadn't expected him to be that good at cooking. She figured it was something that he'd learn how to do until his food was edible. It seemed he was actually gifted at the culinary arts.

"Other than medical jutsus, is there anything you can't do?" She asks.

"Anything remotely artistic and small talk." Sasuke answers.

Hinata giggles. She could certainly see the small talk part. She tries to picture Sasuke painting or playing an instrument. The bluenette just couldn't do it. It was a rather comical image though.

"Speaking of talking though, I talked to your father." Sasuke says as he bites into his steak.

Hinata gulps. Oh boy. She quickly glances at Sasuke. He didn't look like a man who had been in a fight, but that didn't mean anything. He was a fast healer and it was possible that he could have bested her father without taking any damage. (Something that almost no one could boast, but Sasuke was in a league of his own.)

"How did that go?" Hinata inquires nervously.

"Better than I expected. He gave his blessing. It was somewhat tentative, but he's logical. He knows that I was going to court you either way. He did threaten to prevent me from ever having children, if I hurt you though. Of course, that is to be expected. That just means he's a good father and cares about you." Sasuke replies with a shrug.

The Hyuga Heiress blinks. She couldn't believe that her father had actually agreed. It was not exactly a full throated approval, but still. That was a miracle really.

"How did you talk him into it? Did you and my father fight?" She asks.

"I didn't lay a single finger on him. We discussed it calmly and rationally. Don't worry. If you don't believe me, you can go see him yourself. I didn't hurt him and he didn't attack me." Sasuke reaffirms.

Hinata sighs in relief. Thank goodness for small miracles. She had no idea how the meeting was going to play out. It seemed to have gone fairly well though. Sasuke was capable of playing nicely with others, when he wanted to. The last Uchiha just usually didn't desire to do so.

"That's good. I'm happy that you two are getting along, sorta." She says with a shy smile.

"As am I." He tells her and kisses her cheek.

It was a start. Now that Hinata knew that her father wasn't going to fight their relationship, it'd make her feel more comfortable. Well at least that's what Sasuke hoped.

Truthfully, it was a mixed bad. Naruto and Hiashi were on his side to a certain degree. Sakura and Tsunade definitely were not. He expected Sakura though. He wasn't entirely certain if she still carried a torch for him. Sasuke didn't care. He just hoped that she wouldn't be annoying. Tsunade was the main problem. She was Hokage and could make life really irritating for him, if she wanted to.

"So you said you were going to rebuild the entire district?" She asks.

Hinata felt like it was a good idea to try to steer the conversation to safe topics. If she didn't, he might go back to kissing her. Then the logical part of her brain would stop working and she doubted Naruto was going to walk in on them again. (Not if he wanted to live anyway.)

"Eventually. The place was almost completely leveled by Pein's attack. Even if I hire a massive crew, it'll take at least a year for everything to be fixed. It's not right to just leave it like that though. So I am going to try to reconstruct it as soon as possible." He tells her.

"That's good. It will feel less like a…well less lonely after that." Hinata offers.

"You can say it. It will feel less like a cemetery. It already does. You're here now." Sauke informs her and gets behind her.

Instinct told Hinata that having a powerful ninja behind you, usually didn't end well. She relaxes though when she realizes he only wanted to give her a shoulder rub. Damn. Maybe she spoke too soon.

Apparently shoulder rubs also turned her mind into goo as well. That felt nice. It was hard to reconcile that Sauske was actually capable of being gentle, but he was.

"I'm glad that you feel less lonely now. I didn't want to say that. I don't want to offend you." The bluenette says and sighs in contentment.

"You aren't going to offend me by being honest. It's one of your best qualities really." Sasuke informs her and continues with his massage.

Hinata shivers. That felt good. Really good. She closes her eyes in contentment and leans into his administrations. After all, it was just a shoulder rub. There was really no reason to protest that.

She spoke too soon however. Sasuke seemed rather fond of her breasts. His hands gradually glide lower and that's when she jumps.

"I should probably head home. It's late and I don't want my family to worry." She says and blushes a deep shade of red.

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow?" He asks.

"Mhm. Thank you for dinner. It was really good!" Hinata exclaims and suddenly finds her feet rather fascinating.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. Alright. It looked like anything below the neck was pushing it a bit too far. She really was such an innocent kitten.

"I'm glad you liked it." He says and places a quick kiss to her lips.

He might not be able to get away with massaging her breasts, but he was fairly confident that kissing wouldn't spook her. Hinata shyly returns the kiss. Sasuke breaks it and smiles, caressing her cheek lightly.

"Me too. Good night, Sasuke. Please try to be nice to the other villagers." She pleads.

"I'll try. Though your definition of nice is probably different than mine." He says.

"I know. I mean don't hurt anyone." She says as she walks out of the door and heads off towards the Hyuga Estate.

"I promise to try not to hurt anyone. It's not my fault that they are all so annoying." He mutters and then smirks as he watches her leave.

He really should have noticed her before. Hinata's womanly curves were certainly something to be admired. It was odd really. Before her, he had barely given more than a glance at most women. Almost none were worth a second glance. The shy heiress was stunning though.

Sasuke suddenly mourned the fact that he had no artistic ability. Her body was truly a work of art. It should be treated as such.

Oh well. He had other ways to show his appreciation. He just had to get her past the her shy phase. Sasuke looked forward to it. It was nice to have something to look forward to that didn't involved death and destruction, Sasuke muses once more.


	10. Chapter 10

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Some people have been curious about Sakura's reaction. So there is a bit of a confrontation between her and Hinata. I have tried not to completely bash Sakura's character, but it is difficult to see your first crush interested in someone else. So I tried to go for accuracy.

Chapter Ten

The next day, Sakura finds Hinata in the hospital. The pink haired woman takes a deep breath and braces herself for the conversation that she knew that she would have to have with her friend. It was for the Hyuga Heiress's own safety.

"Hinata, would you like to have lunch with me?" Sakura asks.

"Sure." The bluenette says as she walks off towards the cafeteria with the other woman.

Once they were in a quiet corner, the only female member of Team Seven decides to broach the topic. She was grateful that Sasuke had decided to pursue Hinata and not someone else. This would have been a lot more brutal if it was Ino or even Tenten.

"I saw the tape, Hinata. I know that Sasuke kissed you. I even confronted him about it. He held a kunai against my throat when I did." She says.

"You saw the tape?" Hinata asks and tries to hide her blush as she takes a bit into her meal.

"Yes, I did. So did Tsunade. But we aren't going to let anyone else see it. Hinata, I'm not sure why Sasuke suddenly decided that wants you, but he is dangerous. He pulled a kunai on me, just for talking." The other medic warns her.

Hinata was glad that she was eating. It gave her a few extra seconds to come up with a reply to that. She knew that Sakura was concerned about her, but the underlying implication bothered her. _"Sasuke is dangerous. You are too trusting and will get hurt because you can't protect yourself."_

"Thank you. I don't really want that tape to get out. It's private. I know what he did. He told me." She admits.

"HE WHAT?!" Sakura demands and suddenly the two women were getting a lot of funny looks from other patrons.

"Sasuke told me what he did. He said he didn't want to keep secrets from me. I'm sorry he treated you that way. He says that he won't do it again and while he's not entirely mentally stable, I've never known him to actually lie before. So if he says he's not going to attack you, I believe him." The bluenette informs her.

Sakura didn't even know how to process that. Only Sasuke would tell the woman that he was interested in that he pulled a weapon her friend. She couldn't believe that Hinata was treating this so casually. What was wrong with her?!

"Hinata, it's one thing to be his medic. It's quite another to be his girlfriend. You were in the hospital. You were surrounded by people who could help, if he got out of control. If you are alone with him, it'll be different." The jade eyed woman continues.

"Sakura, I realize that. I know he's dangerous, but I am a Jonin. I can chakra block him in the worst case scenario. Besides, he's different now. At least when we are alone." She protests.

Sakura blinks. Hinata had been alone with him? This wasn't going to end well. Her own feelings about Sasuke were complicated, but she knew one thing. Hinata was far too kind and gentle to be subjected to whatever mind games he was playing.

"I wasn't saying that you were weak. You're strong, Hinata. I know you are. Everyone does. It's just that Sasuke is different. Naruto and Sasuke are both in a different league than most people will ever be in. It's not a fair fight and you know that." Sakura argues.

"I know that you are worried about me, but you don't have to be. I would be more worried about yourself. I'm not the one who he pulled a kunai on. He loves me. He's not going to hurt me." Hinata says.

The pink haired woman stares at Hinata in shock. She couldn't believe the other ninja had just said that. _"He loves me."_

"Did he actually say that? Did he say that he loves you?" The pink haired woman asks in disbelief.

"No, but he wants me to help him restore his Clan. I didn't mean to say that. I don't know if he does or doesn't. I don't know if he's still capable of love, really. But I know that he cares about me on some level. He's different towards me than anyone else. He even talked to my father about us." She admits with a slight blush.

The medic blinks. She couldn't process that. Sasuke had actually gone to Hiashi Hyuga and asked him for permission to date his daughter? This entire situation was completely insane.

She had known Hinata for years. The Hyuga Heiress wasn't the type to make up such a fantastical tale for the sake of her own amusement. If the bluentte said that Sasuke had spoken to the Hyuga Patriarch, he had.

"How did that go?" She inquires cautiously.

"Better than expected. Sasuke claims father gave his blessing, in a way." The other woman replies as she takes a sip of her drink.

The medic was stunned. Hiashi had given Sasuke permission to date his daughter. This entire situation was just getting more and more bizarre by the minute.

"So you…like him then?" Sakura questions her.

"I like the way he kisses me and how he treats me when we are alone. I'm not blind. I know what he's capable of. I've read his psychological evaluation. It's just he's so different when we are together. I honestly don't know how stable he is around everyone else though…" She admits.

Sakura shakes her head. She didn't know how to handle this. It sounded like the feelings were mutual, but at least Hinata had enough common sense not to jump right in.

"Hinata, it's way too dangerous. You need to let him down gently. What he needs is a good counselor and a friend, not a lover." Sakura insists.

"Would you still be saying that, if he had asked you to help him restore his Clan?" Hinata demands.

She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt rather angry. Sakura seemed as baffled by the fact that Sasuke had chosen HER, as anything else. It as if her friend couldn't comprehend why someone would want her for a lover. Maybe Sakura was jealous? Perhaps even more disturbingly, Hinata realized that she might be feeling jealous as well.

"That's different. We've known each other well for years. We used to be on the same team. You two are little more than strangers. He denies it, but I think your Byakugan is what is really arousing his… _interest."_ The other medic says.

"You're being a hypocrite. So it's okay for you to be his lover, when he's still dealing everything. But it's not alright for someone else to be? It's not JUST my Byakugan that he's interested in. Why is it so hard for you to believe that someone could like me for me and not just my bloodline?!" Hinata snaps at her.

Hinata knew that she shouldn't be yelling at her friend. Sakura was concerned about her. The pink haired woman had valid reasons to be concerned for her safety. She had the same worries herself, but clearly she was also being motivated by other emotions. Hinata was positive that tnvy and shock were also playing a role in Sakura's behavior.

It angered her. On some level, the bluenette knew that Sakura didn't mean it that way. She didn't mean that no one would find Hinata desirable, if it wasn't for her bloodline. Sakura was just surprised that Sasuke did, but it still stung.

"Hinata, I didn't mean it that way! You know that I didn't. There are plenty of men who would love to be with someone like you. I just don't think Sasuke is one of them. He's trying to use you for your bloodline. Don't let him do it." Sakura warns her.

"I'm going to go now. If I stay much longer, I am going to say something that I will regret. You're my friend and I don't want to hurt you, but I will if this continues." Hinta says as she storms out of the cafeteria, clutching her fists.

Meanwhile Sasuke was in the middle of almost giving Ino a heart attack. The blonde couldn't believe that he had just entered the flower shop. Neither could any of the other patrons. Every single one of them was staring wide eyed at the him.

Sasuke activates his Sharingan. The other shoppers quickly either turn their attention back to what they had been doing beforehand. Everyone was wondering what he was doing there, but no one was brave enough to ask. Well no one, except for Ino.

"Sasuke?" She asks in confusion.

"I didn't realize that it was illegal for me to buy things." He mutters and walks over to the blonde ninja.

He recognized her from his Academy days. Sasuke didn't know her well. He realized that she used to be like Sakura. Ino used chase after him everywhere. He hoped that she had outgrown that phase. It would be really annoying, if she thought that he was buying the flowers for her.

"It isn't. You just aren't the type of guy that most would picture buying flowers. So who are they for?" Ino asks cheerfully.

"That's really none of your concern. Do you have any white lilies?" He asks.

Ino shivers at Sasuke's tone. It was positively glacial. She was surprised that she didn't turn into a giant ice cube when he told her that it wasn't any of her business. He had never been the warmest guy, but this was extreme even for him.

Was it possible that he was shy? Was he embarrassed to be confessing his love for someone? She couldn't help but wonder who the girl was. Was it even a girl? That might explain the icy tone. She had never seen him look at any women (or men).

"Yes, we have white lilies. We have lots of different colors actually. Are you sure you want white?" She inquires.

"If I wanted another color, I would have told you so. You're being annoying. If you don't stop being annoying, the lilies are going to end up being red." Sasuke warns her.

 _Red. Blood red._ Ino wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what Sasuke was implying. It was a somewhat subtle threat, but a rather clear one. The female ninja wonders if he would actually be crazy enough to attack her in a shop full of witnesses.

She shakes her head. Ino knew that was a dumb question. Sasuke could easily take out everyone in this building and wouldn't have to bat an eyelash to do so. They all knew it. That was why everyone was suddenly so terrified.

"White it is then." She says nervously and shows him to the flowers.

Sasuke didn't know what it was about this village. Everyone had to be so nosy. Couldn't he buy some damn flowers without undergoing an interrogation.

Next time, he was just going to grow them in his garden. Unfortunately, it was winter. So that wouldn't work at the moment. Still he made a mental note that growing flowers in a garden was likely to be a lot less annoying than buying them.

"I'll take them." He says simply and shoves some money into her hand.

"Sasuke, this is way too much. For this much money, you could buy a wagon full of flowers." She informs him.

Sasuke shrugs. He wasn't an idiot. It was likely that for the next couple days, people were going to be too scared to shop there. So he gave extra.

"Compensation for the loss of business. I imagine the other villagers will be too scared to come here for a few days. They'll get over it eventually. Until then, that should cover the losses." He says and heads off with the lilies in tow.

Sasuke heads home. His eyes narrow when he realizes the lights were on in his house. He most certainly had NOT left them on when he left.

Someone was inside his home. Someone without his permission. He vaguely wondered if Hinata would mind blood stained lilies.

"SHOW YOURSELF!" He snarls when he enters his home.

Sasuke saw a shadow out of the corner of his eye. He slams the other person into the wall. They were going to pay for trespassing on his Clan's lands. How dare they invade his District?!

"Whoa! Easy there, bastard. It's just me. You don't have to go all homicidal on me. Sheesh. What are going to do, if Hinata surprise visits you one of these days? You need to learn to relax. Not everything is a life or death threat." Naruto states.

Slowly, Sasuke begins to calm down. It was Naruto. The loser could come and go as he pleased. Other than Hinata, he wouldn't allow anyone else that privilege. Naruto was an exception.

"That's called breaking and entering. It is a crime, even if it's my home." Sasuke snaps at him.

"Oh you know you love me. What's with the flowers?" He asks.

"Their for Hinata, idiot. What did you think I was buying you lilies?" Sasuke asks and raises an eyebrow.

"Nah. You aren't nearly nice enough to do that. Besides, I like sunflowers better." Naruto says cheerfully and Sasuke smacks him upside the head for that little gem.

Sasuke then shakes his head and puts the flowers down. It was only two in the afternoon. Hinata wouldn't get off work for a few hours yet. That's assuming she came to his house immediately aft wards. She might not.

Fortunately, Ino's family were ninjas. They had a special jutsu in place over their flowers that kept them alive longer than normal. So he could wait a few days, if it came down to it.

"You are dreaming, if you think I'm going to buy you flowers. Anyway, what are you doing here?" Sasuke asks.

"I wanted to make sure everything was going okay. Sakura and Tsunade know, but I doubt anyone else does yet. Are you guys official? Are you keeping it a secret from everyone else?" Naruto asks.

"I'm not sure if we are official or not. Hiashi gave his rather reluctant blessing though. Yes, Sakura and Tsunade know. They are probably going to be really annoying about the whole thing. Hinata and I haven't discussed if we are keeping it a secret or not, yet." Sasuke says with a shrug.

Naruto nods. He could only hope that Hiashi and Sasuke hadn't come to blows. He didn't think it was likely If they had, Sasuke would be more upset. At least, Naruto thought he would be.

"Do you want it to be a secret:?" His blonde friend asks curiously.

"I would prefer it public. I wouldn't mind secret though. It'd obviously be much harder on Hinata than me. I don't give a damn what the village thinks about me. She does." Sasuke mutters.

Oh boy. Naruto knew that he was going to have to step in here. Sasuke needed an intervention. He was being an antisocial bastard again. His best friend really needed to learn that it was important to let your guard down sometimes and make other friends.

"Sasuke, I know that you an antisocial bastard, but Hinata isn't. What if your kids take after her?" The blue eyed ninja asks.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He had no idea what the loser was trying to get at this time. Was he trying to ask what Sasuke would do if their children had the Byakugan instead of Sharingan?

"What do you mean by that?" He demands.

"Well your kids might not be antisocial. Maybe they would actually like to have friends. That's kinda hard to do, when their parents are terrified of you." Naruto reasons.

The last Uchiha pauses. He hadn't really thought about that. As much as he was loathed to admit it, Naruto had a point there. Damn it.

"I guess you're right. I'll try to terrify the villagers a little less. It's hard though. They bring it on themselves." Sasuke replies.

"Well that's a start. I know it'd probably mean a lot to Hinata. So how are you two…you know?" The boisterous ninja asks.

The dark haired man shakes his head. Naruto was completely oblivious when it came to relationships. He doubted the blonde had thought much past the kissing and handholding stage. Unfortunately, other than kissing they hadn't done much yet. But it was a start.

"She's still getting used to the idea, but she sought me out. She came here, without me asking her to. Hinata also told her father about us. So I think on some level she's accepted it." Sasuke muses.

"I still can't believe you chose her of all people. Talk about opposites attracting. She's probably good for you. I mean you haven't gone postal once since you came back." Naruto says cheerfully.

Well that wasn't exactly accurate. Sasuke had chewed Tsunade out. He had threatened Sakura. But he wasn't going to correct Naruto's delusion. He just nods his head.

"I haven't killed anyone, since I came back. Exactly." Sasuke says.

"Bastard, I don't like the way you phrased that. What did you do? Other than threatening Sakura. Because I know about that. You really are such a jerk sometimes! She was only talking to you." The blonde protests.

"I got into it with Tsunade. It was verbal though. Sakura needs to get it through her head, that it's none of her business. My relationship with Hinata is none of her concern." Sasuke replies.

Naruto shakes his head. Sakura was Sasuke's teammate. Of course she was going to be concerned for him and Hinata. The medic was perfectly aware that Sasuke had a lot of _issues._ It was only natural that she'd be worried.

Sakura had also been in love with him for years. Of course it was going to be difficult to see Sasuke pursuing someone else. Of course, Sasuke was Sasuke. Empathy had never really been his strong suit. Walking a mile in someone else's shoes, wasn't something he did often.

"I'll try to talk to her. I really hope this works out for you and Hinata. Hopefully, the kids take after her though. We don't need a bunch of toddlers throwing fireballs during their Terrible Twos." Naruto muses.

"Naruto, Uchiha children do not start throwing fireballs when they are toddlers. I learned when I was about 6 or 7. That was considered early for my Clan. Itachi was an even earlier bloomer than me, but even he wasn't tossing around fire at the age of two." Sasuke says and rolls his eyes.

"Oh that's good. Wait is your house fireproof? You should make sure it's fireproof anyway. Just because they aren't born spitting fire, doesn't mean they won't later on." The blue eyed ninja reasons.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Maybe in five or six years, that might be a concern. But right now it wasn't. Naruto really thought his children were going to be fire breathing dragons or something, it seemed.

"You pictured my children being born spitting fire and radiating the Chidori, didn't you?" He asks.

"Well yeah. Kinda. I mean, you're you. I imagine your children will be overachieving bastards too! Well unless they take after Hinata. Then they would be too nice to set the District on fire." He observes.

Sasuke makes a small snort of amusement. Only Naruto. Honestly, even with Uchiha and Hyuga blood, it wasn't like they were going to come out of the womb, ready to go to battle.

"You are an idiot." He states.

"And you're a bastard, but I put up with you anyway. Well I guess I should get going. I imagine you are going to want some alone time with Hinata." He says brightly.

"You're right. I'd really appreciate it, if you would stop showing up every time we are in the middle of an important conversation!" Sasuke warns him.

Naruto laughs. Yes, he had interrupted their "conversation." Yeah, that was one way to put it.

"Yeah. That's totally what you guys were doing. _Talking."_ Naruto says mockingly.

"You are such a loser." Sasuke mutters as he not so politely shoves Naruto out of his house and waits for Hinata's return.

A few hours later, Hinata knocks on the door. Sasuke opens it. He smiles when he sees it was Hinata. He was a little worried that Sakura or Tsunade might come visit him. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with their objections.

"Come in." He says.

Sasuke blinks when Hinata does exactly that. There was something about her body language that seemed _agitated._ Hinata was annoyed about something or at someone. He didn't think it was at him though.

"Something wrong?" Sasuke asks.

"It's nothing." She mumbles and Sasuke raises an eyebrow at that obvious lie.

Hinata definitely wasn't a good liar. She was probably the worst liar that he had ever met. He notes that fact and stores it away for later.

"Then why do you look like you want to scratch someone's eyes out?" He asks.

"Sakura, tried to protect me today. I know that she was mostly just worried about me, but it bothered me. She thinks that I'm helpless against you." The bluenette confesses.

"Then she's an idiot. If you get in one good shot, you can lockup my chakra points. That gives you an advantage over most other people who have faced me in the past." He murmurs and caresses her cheek.

He knew that a lot of people underestimated her. Sasuke couldn't entirely blame them. Hinata looked as threatening as a bunny rabbit, really.

The last Uchiha knew better though. He knew not to judge a book by its cover. Hinata wouldn't be a Jonin if she was defenseless.

"I know. I'm used to people thinking that about me. That I can't take care of myself, but it hurts to know that a friend thinks that way about you." She mumbles.

Sasuke kisses the top of her head and wraps his arms around his intended. He really was going to give Sakura a good tongue lashing. He promised that he wouldn't raise a weapon against her. The last Uchiha had never said that he wouldn't yell at her though, he thought with a smirk.

"She's being annoying. Do you want me to kill her for you?" Sasuke asks.

"SASUKE! I can't believe you just asked me that! She might have upset me, but she's still my friend. You can't just kill people because they upset you!" She exclaims in a horrified fashion.

"Relax. I was just joking." He assures her and then mutters "mostly," under his breath.

Hinata just gapes at Sasuke. She had no idea what she was going to do with him. It was almost like he was two different people living in the same body. One moment, he'd be trying to seduce her or having a normal conversation. The next moment, he'd be pulling a kunai on his former teammate.

"Not funny." She mumbles.

"Alright. Well let me make it up to you. It's winter, so they won't grow in the garden yet. I got you something." He says and hands her the lilies.

Hinata blinks. Yes, she had no idea what she was going to do with him. He had just asked if she wanted him to kill someone and now he was giving her beautiful flowers. Naruto really wasn't the most unpredictable ninja anymore in the Leaf, she muses to herself.


	11. Chapter 11

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Oh and thank you guys for all your support. I think this chapter will crack the 100 review mark.

 **Chapter Notation:** I don't know if Christmas is a thing in the Naruto universe, but I haven't seen proof that it isn't. In this chapter, it's intended to be an excuse for Sasuke to plot. No religious implications were intended. When I found out Hinata's birthday was December 27th, I couldn't resist doing a holiday scene.

 **Naruto's Physical:** I made up Naruto's height and weight measurements. I realize they aren't accurate, but they seem more realistic to me. That and it makes for better comedy.

Chapter 11

A month later and Hinata's life had in a surreal pattern. She would wake up, perform her shift at the hospital, go to the Uchiha District, visit with her friends, and then go home. It was the third part of that new routine that was the most bizarre.

For the moment, Sasuke seemed perfectly content to keep their relationship a secret. He hadn't explicitly said it, it appeared he was just fine with them staying at his place. Hinata was beginning to wonder if this was because he didn't want to pressure her into a public relationship or if he just really didn't care about the rest of the village. Her suspicion is that it was both.

"Well I guess that answers the boxers or briefs question." Sasuke says dryly.

"Sasuke, the old man didn't know what he was doing when he stripped down to his boxers!" Hinata replies and tries to stifle a giggle.

"Oh I believe you. I understand what can happen to some people in their old age. It's tragic really, but it's still funny. Did the boxers have little hearts or teddy bears on them?" He asks with a smirk.

Hinata had been telling Sasuke about a very addled patient at the hospital. Poor man seemed to believe he was at the beach and about to go swimming with some old flame. He was harmless, even if it was awkward to see him "streaking" through the halls. Eventually, they managed to settle him down.

"Hearts. They seem rather popular with the older gentlemen." She answers honestly.

"Doesn't you telling me this violate patient confidentiality?" The last Uchiha asks slyly.

"Not as long as I don't mention names. I wouldn't violate their trust like that." Hinata insists.

Sasuke shakes his head. He playfully pins her to the couch. She really was such an innocent kitten. The Hyuga Heiress actually thought that he was seriously accusing her of violating medical law.

"Relax kitten, I was only teasing you. I know that you wouldn't spill someone's secrets like that and embarrass them. You are far too kind for that." He says and kisses her.

Hinata kisses back. A few months ago, the thought of kissing him never would have entered her head. He had seemed so untouchable. Honestly, the thought of even speaking to him wouldn't have occurred to her. It was different now.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that she shouldn't return his kisses. The bluenette wasn't really sure what she wanted from Sasuke and she didn't want to lead him on. Despite that logical thought, she couldn't help it. Sasuke was just a very seductive kisser.

"Sometimes it's hard to tell when you are teasing and when you are being serious." She murmurs after breaking the kiss.

"You'll learn to recognize the distinction eventually." Sasuke says.

It should have disturbed her. She was cuddling up into the arms of a cold blooded killer. Of course, she realized to a certain extent that she was being a hypocrite. Most ninjas were killers. Sasuke was different though because of the sheer amount of carnage that he could cause, if he put his mind to it. Hinata knew it wasn't smart to continue this relationship, yet she couldn't find it in herself to break it off.

When she was alone in her room and honest with herself she could admit the real reason why. Yes, he was dangerous. But he was also extremely seductive and very attentive towards her. As far as she could tell, she was the center of his world at the moment. There was something addicting about that knowledge.

"Mhm." She agrees and runs her fingers through his dark spiky locks.

She shivers as the cold winter air blew through the window. When this had all first started, winter had just begun to claim the land. The scarf hadn't been absolutely necessary, but the air had been chilly enough that no one had thought to question her about it. (Which was a good thing because she really didn't want to explain why her neck was covered in love bites.) Now, the scarf was definitely needed.

"I'll go shut the window." Sasuke says as he notices her shiver and gets off the couch to go do precisely that.

Hinata smiles. Sasuke was a bit of a contradiction when it came to how he treated women. Sasuke wouldn't hesitate to attack a woman, anymore than a man. In a more subtle way though, he was very old fashioned. He did seem to enjoy playing the role of a protector in smaller ways.

"There." Sasuke mutters as he soon joins her back on the couch and wraps his arms around her.

Speaking of old fashioned, Christmas and her birthday was almost on them. She had been born two days after Christmas, so most of the time the winter celebration doubled as holiday festivity and her birthday party in the Hyuga Household. Hinata knew it was a risk, but she decides it might do him some good to socialize with someone who wasn't her or Naruto.

"Sasuke, would you like to join my family and I for our Christmas dinner?" She asks suddenly.

"I'd like that." He replies, surprising Hinata.

She had expected him to protest. They hadn't exactly gone out of their way to shove their relationship in her father's face and Sasuke had never been the most social person. Honestly, the Hyuga Heiress would have thought he'd avoid holiday festivities like the plague. So his answer had shocked her.

"Great! I'm sure you will really like it. We have amazing food every year, there are games, dancing, and things like that." She states happily.

"Mhm." He says and rests his head on top of hers.

A Christmas Party? Sasuke wasn't so certain he was fond of that idea, but Hinata's birthday was two days later. It probably doubled as her birthday celebration and he wasn't going to miss that.

Besides, it was probably a good idea to at least attempt to have cordial relationships with her family. It would make Hinata happier. He also had their future children to consider.

They wouldn't know anyone from their paternal side of the tree. So Hinata's family would be the only family they knew. He'd rather have them have a close relationship with the Hyugas for that reason.

"You don't have to worry about bringing everything. The Clan is too large to bring everyone a gift." She assures him.

"Good to know. That would have been quite the long shopping list." He murmurs in amusement.

He smiles. Things were going much smoother now. Hinata didn't hesitate to return his kisses and she came to his District daily. She was much more relaxed around him.

It was a bit frustrating that they hadn't gone much further than kissing. Still he didn't want to push her and risk making her balk. They had been together for a few months though. Perhaps he would begin fully seducing her at that Christmas Party.

Meanwhile Sakura was at the hospital and giving Naruto his physical. She quickly marks down his height and weight. Naruto blinks.

"Um Sakura. You added an extra zero there. I weigh 200 pounds and I'm 6 feet tall, not 2000. Are you alright?" He asks.

"Oh sorry! I guess my mind is wandering." She mumbles in an embarrassed voice and quickly fixes the error.

Naruto nods sympathetically. He knew what was on Sakura's mind. He just wasn't sure how to broach the subject. The blonde eventually decides to do so in the most blunt way possible.

"You are worried about Hinata and Sasuke?" He half states and half asks.

"Yeah. I mean I'm happy that he found someone that he likes for once. I just have a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea of them together. That and I don't really think that Sasuke is mentally stable enough to be in a relationship. This could end badly. I don't want either of them to get hurt." The medic says in a rush.

Naruto got what his friend was saying. He was also a bit worried when he found out that Sasuke had a thing for Hinata in the beginning. But they had been dating for a couple months now. The bastard seemed happier. The blonde wasn't going to risk ruining that over something bad _possibly_ happening.

"Sakura, I think if something was going to happen, it would have by now. I haven't heard Hinata or Sasuke sound upset. I think they are actually, well somehow it works. I don't get it either, but I'm not going to argue." The blue eyed ninja informs her.

Sakura sighs and nods. Maybe Naruto was right. She might be worried over nothing. She was honest enough with herself to admit that part of the reason was that she was hurt.

She had been Sasuke's teammate for years and had never once looked at her that way. Hinata had become his medic and he had "fallen" for her almost immediately. It didn't make much sense to her. Hinata was Sasuke's opposite in every way.

"You might have a point. Still I'd feel better if you kept a close eye on them." She states.

"Well I don't know if that's such a good idea. I mean I kinda walked in on them twice. Sasuke would probably kill me, if he thought that I was spying on them. Well he would TRY anyway. We all know that I can kick his ass." Naruto says with a cheerful grin.

She just nods her head. Naruto might joke about it, but there really weren't many people out there that could match either of the fearsome duo. Sakura mentally smacks herself for that label. She needed to come up with a better way to describe them. That sounded so lame even in her head.

"Yes, he'd get annoyed. I can't help it though. I worry for them both. I still can't believe that they are dating." She admits.

"Yeah. Me neither, but they say opposites attract. You can't get much more different than them. I think he's serious about her though. Sasuke's never really gotten crushes before. This is real as far as I can tell." The boisterous ninja observes.

The blonde had always known that Sasuke wanted to restore his Clan. It was just that Sasuke never seemed very interested in the actual process of said restoration. So yeah he had been caught off guard by his friend's sudden interest in Hinata.

Sasuke was Sasuke though. He had always skipped crawling and started running. He supposed that he shouldn't have been surprised that the last Uchiha had done the same thing when it came to romance.

"Yeah. It's just so strange." Sakura says with a shrug.

"Well the bastard is actually trying. I mean he got her flowers. I never thought he'd do something that normal. Though Ino says, that he threatened to kill her if she didn't just give him the color he wanted. So that's very Sasuke-like!" Naruto says brightly.

Sakura blinks. She wasn't sure if Sasuke had been joking. He might actually kill someone who annoyed him. Ino had just been doing her job and telling him about all the options, but Sasuke had threatened to stain the white lilies red with blood.

This just reaffirmed her belief that Sasuke wasn't stable enough for a relationship. You didn't just go around threatening to kill someone over flowers. Violence was always his first solution. That wasn't healthy.

"That surprised me. Everyone is still talking about that one. I'm glad that no one has figured out that he got the flowers for her. Hinata would never have a moment's peace. Everyone would badger her with questions." Sakura muses.

"Yeah. That's true. Anyway, don't worry so much. I'm sure that if something is up, Hinata will tell us." Naruto reassures her.

A short while later, Hinata leaves to return to the Hyuga Estate. Sasuke watches her leave and then departs as well. He had some Christmas/birthday shopping to do.

He was far from an expert on dogs, but he knew that the puppies had to stay with their mother for at last a couple months. They should be old enough now. So he heads to the Inuzukas.

"Sasuke?! What are you doing here?!" Kiba asks in shock when he sees the Uchiha approaching him.

"I wanted to take a look at the dogs. I heard that yours became a father not that long ago. They are old enough to take home now, right?" Sasuke asks.

Kiba blinks. Sasuke fucking Uchiha wanted a puppy?! What the Hell was going on? Was this really Sasuke or an imposter?

"How do I know you are the real Sasuke?" He asks.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. What was that supposed to mean? Kiba thought he was an imposter? Why? He'd never understand what went on in his head.

"If you don't answer my question, I'll Chidori your nuts off." Sasuke informs him.

"Oh yeah. You're definitely Sasuke. Yeah the pups are old enough to start finding them homes. Why do you care though?" The canine lover asks.

Seriously, this was getting annoying? It was tiresome to face an inquisition, every time he made a purchase that the other villagers considered unusual for him. Whatever. He was going to look at the puppies one way or another.

"I'm interested in getting a ninja dog." He says simply.

"Really? I never would have thought of you as a dog person. Um alright. Come on, I'll show you them." Kiba says as he leads him to the back.

Sasuke looks at the dogs. There were six puppies in all. Sasuke examines a large white fluffy female pup. He debates on things like camouflage, but decides it didn't matter. A minor Genjutsu could easily alter fur color, if it came down to it.

"She seems friendly. How big will she get?" Sasuke asks.

"Oh probably a little smaller than Akamaru. She's already housetrained." Kiba continues.

"Great. I'll take her. How much do you want for her?" The last Uchiha asks.

Kiba tells Sasuke the price. This felt so bizarre. One of the most dangerous ninjas of their era was buying a puppy. This was insane.

"Oh and Kiba, don't tell anyone about this. I don't want the surprise ruined. If you run your mouth to ANYONE, I will mindfuck you so hard that you will think you are actually a dog for the rest of your life. Got it?" Sasuke warns him.

The Inuzuka blinks. Yeah, this was definitely Sasuke. Only Sasuke could issue a warning like that and have his voice stay completely neutral.

"G-ot it." He stammers and Sasuke nods, taking off with the pup.

A few days later, Sasuke goes with Hinata to the Hyuga Estate. Once they were inside, he felt the weight of thousands of eyes on him. He knew that he stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the Hyuga Estate.

"Welcome." Hiashi says as he strides over this daughter and her suitor.

"Thank you, for inviting me into your home. I know that this can't be easy for you." Sasuke observes as he glances at all the Hyugas staring at him.

"They will get used to you. I expect you to be on your best behavior. I will not tolerate you setting fire to our estate or anything of that nature." The Hyuga Patriarch says.

Sasuke smirks. It wasn't as if Hiashi could stop him from doing that. Still he was inside the other man's house. So he would respect his request. It wasn't like he was planning on burning the place down anyway.

"I wasn't planning on it." Sasuke says.

"Good. What's that you are carrying?" Hiashi inquires as he notices Sasuke was carrying a rather large box, that seemed to be moving slightly.

"Hinata's present." He states simply.

Hiashi nods. He offers to go and place it on the table with the other gifts. Sasuke shakes his head. He makes up an excuse about it being too fragile.

"Very well then. I do hope you enjoy the festivities. Happy early birthday, daughter." Hiashi says as he kisses Hinata's cheek and goes to help get the food to the tables.

"It surprises me that he's helping the Branch Members set the tables." Sasuke muses.

"Father likes to be seen ensuring that everything is running smoothly. He's not really fond of setting tables, but it gives a good impression. His image as the Head of our Clan and our Clan's safety is everything to him." Hinata explains.

The bluenette glances down at the large present that Sasuke was carrying. She couldn't help but wonder what it was. Sasuke wasn't really a poetic. If given the option he would always choose to express his affection physically or by giving her gifts.

Most of these gifts had been a lot smaller than whatever was currently in his arms, though. Sasuke was fond of giving her jewelry and had once gotten her flowers. Apparently, it hadn't been a positive experience for him to go shopping for them. He hadn't done that again. Clothes were also a popular choice with him.

"Sasuke, maybe I should open it now? Your present is…moving." Hinata notes with some alarm as they sit down at the table.

"Alright. The food isn't set on this table yet. I don't think she'll make too much of a commotion." Sasuke says after a moment's hesitation.

"She'll?!" Hinata asks in alarm.

"You'll see. Don't worry. She's still got her baby teeth and very friendly. I highly doubt she's going to bite." Sasuke say confidently.

Hinata nervously opens the large box. It was at that moment, that she realized there were holes in it. Air holes. There was something alive inside it.

As soon as she opens it, a furry white head pops out and starts sniffing around curiously. She blinks. It was a puppy. A fluffy white puppy, with a red ribbon tied around its neck.

"You got me a dog?" She asks in surprise.

"A ninja dog. Kiba claims she's housetrained and she seems rather friendly." Sasuke says with a nod.

"She's really cute. Thank you." Hinata says with a smile and kisses his cheek, while hugging the furball to her chest.

Sasuke never thought he'd actually be jealous of a dog. Wait the DOG got to be that close to her breasts, but he didn't? Unbelievable. Women made no sense sometimes.

The celebration continues for hours. Sasuke had never seen so much food in his entire life. Presents were everywhere. The Hyugas apparently took the holidays very seriously.

He idly thought that it might just be a display of their wealth and power as much as anything else. The Hyugas were a very proud Clan. Their pride was different than the Uchiha Clan's pride though. It was more aristocratic in nature.

"Are you really dating my big sister?" Hanabi asks Sasuke.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow in amusement. Hanabi was certainly far bolder than Hinata in many ways. Perhaps a little too bold for Hiashi's tastes. He shoots his youngest daughter a look of disapproval for her bluntness.

"Yes, I am." Sasuke says simply.

"Have you two kissed?" She continues her bold line of questioning.

"Hanabi! Conduct yourself properly." Hiashi warns her.

"Yes, father." Hanabi mutters and soon turns her attention to the puppy.

The dog was rather popular, Sasuke noticed. Women they loved anything that was fluffy and cute. He sighs. It was unlikely he'd get much alone time with Hinata until the party was over and everyone went back to their rooms.

Hinata was frankly relieved when the party tapers off. Sasuke had behaved himself during the festivities, but she wasn't eager to push her luck. The bluenette was well aware that crowds were not exactly his thing.

"I got you a second present. I just didn't think that it was suitable to show in front of your family." Sasuke says as he walks with Hinata towards her room, carrying the dog for her.

"A second present?" She asks curiously and Sasuke nods.

"You are going to spoil me." The Hyuga Heiress continues in response to that revelation.

Sasuke smiles, pleased at this response. He heads into her room and sets the puppy down, before locking the door. He knew that it was more about the illusion of privacy than anything else. Her family could see through walls. Sasuke just hoped that they were too busy enjoying their presents and resting after the long night of revelry, to spy on them.

"That is the idea." He says as he hands her a smaller box.

It was apparently small enough that he had managed to hide it under his shirt the entire evening. That was quite impressive really.

Hinata curiously opens it. She blushes scarlet when she sees what it was. Sasuke just smirks at her reaction, clearly feeling rather pleased with himself.

"You got me lingerie?" She stammers as she looks down at his gift.

It was a red silky bra and matching thong. It was ruby red with emerald green trimming. It was far more revealing than anything she'd ever worn up until that point.

"I thought it was rather appropriate given the season." He states as if this was all perfectly normal.

"Well the colors are very festive, but it seems a little…small." She mumbles.

A lot small actually. She wasn't entirely certain that the thong would cover her and it'd be something of a miracle if the bra could actually hold her breasts up. The fabric was beautiful but looked rather fragile.

"Hinata, that is kinda the point." He informs her with a sly smile.

"Yes, I un-derstand that. It's very…pretty. Pretty and tiny." She mumbles.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. He wraps arms around her. He really was going to have to get her over her shyness, if he ever wanted to restore his Clan.

"It'll look even better on you. You don't have to be so shy about this sort of thing. You're beautiful. There's nothing wrong with showing it. Well at least around me. If anyone else sees you in this, I am probably going to fire off a Chidori." He warns her and Hinata giggles.

She knew she shouldn't laugh. Sasuke was probably serious about his Chidori, but she couldn't help it. At the moment, it struck her as funny.

"I hope you are just joking." She says after she gets done laughing.

"I am…mostly." Sasuke says and shrugs when Hinata gives him a disapproving look.

She still couldn't imagine actually wearing this skimpy lingerie set. Hinata feels her face heat up at the very thought of it. How did Sasuke even know what size to get her?

"Well thank you for your presents. I got you something too." She says and pulls out a large box.

"You didn't have to get me anything. You wearing that is more than enough of a present for me." Sasuke tells her as he opens the box curiously.

Inside was a male dress kimono. It was navy blue with the Uchiha Crest on the back. It looked like they had both gone with a clothing gift idea this year.

"Does that mean you don't like it?" She asks nervously.

"Hinata, I love it. I just love you more." Sasuke says and kisses her cheek.

Hinata blinks. Sasuke had said that he **LOVED** her. He hadn't said that he wanted to restore his Clan with her. He hadn't said that he liked her. He hadn't said that he adored her. No, he had said love.

"I'm glad that you lik-e it." Hinata stammers, not sure of what else to say at the moment.

"I love it. So what are the chances that you'll model that for me the next time you come to my District?" He asks.


	12. Chapter 12

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for all the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Sasuke was fairly sweet in the last chapter, but there is a reason for the title of this story. While he does love Hinata and his future family, he still has a lot of anger and is far from an angel. So this chapter is darker than the last one.

Chapter 12

Sasuke had never really been one to celebrate the holidays before. They reminded him too much of his fallen Clan. To him, any given holiday was just another day. That was until Hinata.

This year was different. He had already celebrated Christmas and in what seemed like no time at all, New Year's Eve had arrived. In a strange way, he found this very fitting. In theory, this year would be the start of his new life. He just had to tie up some loose ends first and he knew exactly how he was going to do that.

"Whoa. I didn't actually expect you to show up for the New Year's celebration, bastard." Naruto says to Sasuke happily.

What Naruto didn't realize is that it wasn't the real Sasuke. It was a clone. Sasuke wanted to make sure that he couldn't be accused of what he was about to do. If he was seen at the New Year's Eve party while their deaths occurred, no one would reasonably assume he was responsible.

"Hinata wanted to come. So I humored her." Sasuke says with a shrug.

"Damn, you are whipped." The blonde observes with a laugh.

"You are such a loser. I came because it makes her happy. I'm not whipped. I could have said no. It's not like she was going to crack out a whip and go full dominatrix on me." Sasuke says and rolls his eyes.

Naruto blinks. Sasuke had said the word dominatrix. Yeah. He couldn't process that. Did that really just happen?

"Sounds like you would like her to though." He says slyly.

"No. I don't want her to break out actual weapons in the bedroom, but it'd be nice if she modeled her Christmas present for me. She's just really shy. That's okay though. I knew that when I chose her." Sasuke says with a sigh.

"Christmas present. Bastard, what did you get her for Christmas?" Naruto demands.

Sasuke shakes his head. He supposed he might as well just tell the idiot. He wasn't going to let him have a moment's peace otherwise.

"A ninja dog and some sexy lingerie." Sasuke says.

"You got her lingerie. Damn. That was NOT subtle. Sheesh. How'd she react to THAT?" The blonde asks.

"She blushed and stammered. About what you'd expect really." Sasuke says with a shrug as he sips his sake.

Naruto nods. He was surprised that Hinata didn't faint actually. She really was shy. Sasuke not so much. The blonde got the impression that if Sasuke had his way, she'd probably already be pregnant.

Meanwhile the real Sasuke was heading towards the Land of Tea. The Council was going to meet with their leader to discuss trade. Sasuke supposed the Council actually thought that going on New Year's Eve would be symbolic and help them achieve fruitful negotiations.

"How much longer until we arrive?" One of the councilmen asks inside the carriage.

"Oh I'd say about two hours at most. Patience." The councilwoman replies as the horses continue pulling them towards the Land of Tea.

Sasuke smirks when he saw the carriage. He sits on top of a tree nearby and summons Aoda. Aoda was his giant snake summon. If he wouldn't spook the horses, nothing would.

The last Uchiha wasn't completely heartless. He did feel mildly guilty over what he was about to do. It wasn't the horses' fault that they were pulling a bunch of scum. He did feel guilty about spooking them. Still it had to be done.

"AHHHHH! WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!" The Council members scream in unison when the carriage suddenly starts going much faster.

The horses were running for their lives. Aoda wasn't doing anything, but just the sight of the massive serpent was enough to send them into a panic. They raced straight towards a cliff.

Sasuke smirks. He sends a kunai flying at the harness. The blade cuts it and the horses were able to skid to a halt just before they would have gone over the edge of the cliff. The Council wasn't so lucky. The carriage goes flying and one long minute later, it crashes onto the ground.

"That was disappointingly easy. Thank you, Aoda. You may go now." He says and the summon disappears in a loud poof of smoke.

Sasuke teleports down to the bottom of the cliff. He had to make sure they were dead. He doubted anyone could have survived that fall, but he wasn't going to take any chances.

Their bodies had been flung out of the carriage. He counts the corpses, that was all of them. He walks over and checks to see if any of them still had a pulse. Sasuke was wearing gloves. He wasn't going to risk leaving any fingerprints on their bodies.

"It's unfortunate, that I couldn't make them suffer longer." He mutters to himself once he confirms that they were all dead.

He looks around. Hmm the odds were slim, but he didn't really want the Leaf to realize the harness had been cut. He quickly replaces the harness with one that hadn't been cut, but was designed to make it look like the spooked horses had somehow managed to free themselves.

"Perfect." He says and quickly heads back towards the Leaf.

He had launched a preemptive strike this time. Sasuke knew the Council was a bunch of backstabbing schemers. If he allowed them to live, they would probably order another Massacre. So he had killed them, before they could kill him and those that he cared about.

A few hours later, the clock was about to strike midnight. Hinata looks around for Sasuke. Luckily for the last Uchiha, he managed to make it back in time. It was the real Sasuke and not the clone, that got the traditional New Year's Kiss.

"I'm glad that you decided to come to the party." Hinata whispers after breaking the kiss.

"I am too." Sasuke says with a smile and leads her back to the Uchiha District.

Hinata smiles and follows him. The party was still going on, but she didn't mind leaving early. She was happy that Sasuke had decided to socialize with other Leaf Villagers for several hours. She wasn't going to push him further.

"I'll be right back. I want to change out of my formal kimono." Hinata says and Sasuke nods.

He had expected that. The formal kimono was beautiful, but it was rather intricate. Quite honestly, he had no idea how women ever got into those gowns in the first place.

"Alright. I'll get us something to drink." He says and Hinata nods as she heads off towards the bathroom.

Sasuke goes to the kitchen. A few minutes later, he hears Hinata's very hesitant steps approaching. Her footsteps were so soft, that he could almost believe he imagined it.

"It's New Year's. So I thought champagne was appropriate." Sasuke says as he turns around to hand her a glass of champagne.

The raven haired ninja had always thought himself rather coordinated, but he definitely wasn't at that moment. CRASH. He drops his champagne glass when he saw what Hinata was wearing. She was wearing her Christmas present.

"Sasuke! Are you okay? Did the glass get you?" Hinata asks as she rushes over to help him.

"Hinata, stand back. I don't want you to get cut. Yeah. I'm fine. It didn't get me." Sasuke says as he swiftly picks up the glass.

Hinata nods. She felt her face heating up. The Hyuga Heiress couldn't believe she was actually wearing this. She might as well be naked.

She had decided to wear for two reasons. The first reason was because it was a gift. It'd be something of an insult, if she didn't wear it. The second was because Sasuke was really trying to make an effort to assimilate into the village again. Hinata figured it was a good idea to encourage this.

"You look beautiful." Sasuke says as he darts over to her and pushes her against the wall.

She really did. He liked the way the ruby red fabric contrasted with her creamy skin. The fragile lingerie somehow defied physics and actually managed to contain her ample breasts. Her curves were on full display and her thighs were framed nicely by the red and green thong. It also hugged the curve of her ass perfectly.

He felt his eyes bleed red almost immediately. Sasuke wanted to just scoop her up into his arms and take her to the bedroom right now. He loved how the lingerie looked on her, but he even more eager to get it off of her. He knew that was a bad idea though.

"Thank you." She mumbles.

"And like I said before, you shouldn't be afraid to show it." He says and places a gentle kiss against her forehead.

It had probably taken all her courage to actually put it on and model it for him. Sasuke didn't want to push her too hard, but damn it. He only had so much self-control.

"You can be really sweet sometimes." She says with a smile and leans into his hold.

"Only for you. So what made you decide to wear that? So I can convince you to wear it more often." He asks teasingly and places gentle kisses along her neck.

Hinata arches into his touches. That felt good. Really good. If there was something that Sasuke excelled in besides fighting, it was definitely kissing. It could be rather distracting really. She almost didn't hear his question.

"Well it was a gift and you have been t-rying to fit in more." She sighs in contentment.

"You are rewarding me for good behavior?" Sasuke asks in amusement.

That was ironic. He just assassinated the Council and here she was rewarding him for being a _"good boy."_ One look at her in that lingerie told him he had made the right decision. He would have killed a thousand of those vile snakes for her and their family without any hesitation.

"Yes." She admits and looks a little embarrassed at his blunt phrasing.

"I can work with that. You don't have to worry about upsetting me. I'd rather have you be honest. Besides, it's very hard to be upset when I'm admiring such a stunning view." He says and bites down lightly on her neck, drawing a cute mew of pleasure from his intended.

"T-hat's good." She murmurs.

He smiles and caresses her cheek. Sasuke knew he should feel guilty. He really shouldn't touch her with his metaphorically blood soaked hands. She was too innocent and pure. He almost felt like he would corrupt her just by touching her. But he was too selfish to stop.

"Your family will be celebrating all night. You could stay with me. Come lay with me." He whispers hotly in her ear and Hinata felt herself shiver.

She knew that probably wasn't a good idea. Hinata was smart enough to know that if she took him up on that offer, he was going to try to seduce her. This time, Naruto probably wasn't going to walk in on them and she didn't know if she would actually be able to say no.

"Sasuke…" She says and trails off.

"I won't go any further than you want me to. I just want to wake up with you in the morning for once." He continues.

Sasuke knew that she was debating. Hinata enjoyed his kisses and whatever fairly innocent caresses she allowed him to do. But she was a "good girl." She was also a smart enough woman to know what usually happened when a man asked a woman wearing something like that to come and lay with him.

At the moment, he wanted nothing more than to do EXACTLY that. He wasn't stupid though. She wasn't quite ready for them to become lovers just yet. Still he could feel some cracks in her resolve. He was almost positive that she would be soon. Maybe, even later tonight.

"Alright." She says hesitantly and Sasuke smiles.

It was a start anyway. He scoops her up and carries the scantily clad Hyuga woman to his room. Sasuke gently lays her down on the bed and soon joins her.

He quickly wraps the blankets around them. Sasuke decides it was likely she'd feel less flustered, if she wasn't as exposed. He definitely would have the erotic sight of Hinata in that outfit forever firmly locked in his memory. So as much as he admired the view, he didn't mind wrapping the blankets around them.

"I meant it when I said it. Just so you know." He tells her and pulls the shy woman into his arms.

"You meant what?" She asks in confusion and snuggles into the protective embrace.

"That I loved you. Your probably the only reason that I would ever go to a New Year's Eve party." He informs her.

Hinata smiles. She wasn't delusional. No matter how tender Sasuke might be with her, she was still dealing with someone who was incredibly dangerous. Just not to her. She believed him when he said that he loved her.

"Did you enjoy the party?" She asks.

"It was alright. I enjoyed seeing you in that outfit more though. You look tired. You should get some sleep." He tells her and trails his hand over the curve of her hip underneath the blankets.

"When you touch me like that, it's hard to believe that you only want me to go to sleep." She says.

"You're getting to be a bolder kitten. I like it, but you really should get some sleep." He tells her.

Hinata yawns and closes her eyes. She nods in agreement and soon begins to doze off. It was strange. She felt perfectly safe curled up against him, despite knowing that she really shouldn't.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to join her in slumber. The sounds of the Council's dying screams and Hinata's soft moans were mixed in a disturbingly beautiful symphony in his mind. It lulled him into a deep sleep easily.

A few days later, Hinata decides to take Yuki. She had decided to name her Yuki because her fur was white as snow. Yuki meant snow.

"Hinata, when did you get a dog? She's so cute." Kurenai says with a smile as she walks over to former student.

"Oh not that long ago." Hinata replies and smiles as Yuki sniffs Kurenai curiously.

"Hey, Hinata. Hey, Kurenai Sensei." Kiba says as he comes strolling up the street with his own beloved canine.

He blinks. That couldn't be the same dog. Sasuke had bought the white female pup in the most recent litter. He didn't actually give her to Hinata, did he? He got his answer when the puppy greets him happily, by jumping on him in the same way she had while she was still in the kennel.

"Hinata, where did you get this dog?" He asks.

"Oh um Sasuke gave her to me. She was my birthday/Christmas present. I named her Yuki." The bluenette informs him.

Kiba did a double take. Sasuke fucking Uchiha had gotten Hinata a puppy. What the fuck was going on with the world lately?! That made no sense. Sasuke didn't give people presents and he especially did not get women cute, furry animals!

"Sasuke gave you a puppy." Kiba says skeptically and Hinata nods.

"That doesn't sound like him." The Genjutsu Mistress observes as she watches her two students discuss the matter.

That was putting it mildly. Why the Hell would Sasuke give Hinata a dog?! Kiba damn sure knew that it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart. There wasn't any goodness there.

The only thing that man cared about was revenge and restoring his Clan. Wait. Kiba pauses as realization dawns on him. Sasuke might actually be trying to win Hinata over.

"Hinata, has he been acting inappropriately towards you?" Her teammate demands.

"No. He hasn't. Sasuke is different when we are alone. I think he's really trying to fit into the village again. You shouldn't be so quick to judge people. He did help defeat Madara." She reminds him and scratches Yuki's ear.

Oh boy. It was worse than he thought. Sasuke was trying to trick Hinata into helping him restore his Clan and his friend might actually be falling for it. This was a fucking nightmare. Kiba needed to step in and save her.

"That was mostly out of a sense of self-preservation. He's not a good guy Hinata. It's one thing to like Naruto, but Sasuke?" He asks in disbelief.

"I know that he's not…like Naruto. He's done some awful things in the past. But he's different now. Well he's trying to be different." She protests.

"Hinata, did it ever occur to you that he's just trying to seduce you because he wants to merge the Sharingan and Byakugan bloodlines. That's the only thing that matters to him anymore, restoring his Clan." Kiba says.

The Hyuga Heiress felt herself get irritated. Why did everyone always assume that she was completely naïve? Why did they think that the possibility that Sasuke might be just using her for her bloodline, never entered her mind?

That and why did they all seem to believe that there was no way that Sasuke would be interested in her for any other reason? It was really insulting. None of them could fathom someone finding her desirable?!

"It's not like that. If that's all Sasuke wanted, he could have achieved by now. He wouldn't be courting me and he wouldn't say he loves me, if he just wanted a child. He'd just arrange a marriage or seduce me into it. He cares about me…in his own way." She snaps at him.

"He said he loves you?! Hinata, I know you don't actually believe that he loves you. The guy's a total monster. It's not completely his fault, but his mind is completely twisted. The smartest thing you could do, is to get as far away from him as possible!" Her teammate exclaims.

Yuki senses Hinata's distress and goes back over to her owner. The dog rolls on her back and shows her belly. Hinata smiles and pets her. She was such a good girl, unlike her former trainer.

"He's not a monster. Yes, he has problems. But so does almost any active duty ninja. Our lives are violent. It leaves scars. Not all of them are physical. He's changing, Kiba. I know that you don't see it because you haven't really spent much time with him, but he is." The bluenette insists.

"Hinata, I don't think you realize what you are dealing with. You are a nice person. It's nice that you want to give everyone a second chance, but sometimes it just doesn't work." Kiba continues.

"And I suppose her opinion is completely irrelevant to you. You've already made up her mind for her." Came a silky tone that had more than a hint of steel to it from behind them.

Sasuke had gone out to go buy some groceries and overheard everything. He tried his best not to launch a fireball or Chidori at the canine lover in a rage. In Kiba's mind, he thought he was actually protecting Hinata.

It would be wrong to kill him. He cared about the Hyuga Heiress. Perhaps in a different way than Sasuke did, but he did want his future wife to have friends outside of their marriage. That was only healthy. However, if Kiba didn't shut his mouth soon, he was about to head to the Emergency Room.

"It's not like that, Uchiha! I don't want Hinata to get hurt is all." Kiba growls at him.

"Does she look hurt to you?" Sasuke demands and bites back a snarl.

Kurenai sighs. She gets between the two men. She knew that Sasuke had feelings for Hinata. The bluenette claimed that Sasuke was in love with her and judging by how angry he looked, that might actually be accurate. That didn't matter at the moment though.

What mattered was making sure that no one got killed over this "discussion." The Genjutsu Mistress eyes both of them warily. She knew that Hinata was considering getting in the middle and she wasn't going to allow that to happen. Hinata and Kiba were her students. She was going to protect them.

"Kiba, while I share your concerns…it's Hinata's decision who she wants to be with. Sasuke, cool your temper." She snaps at both of them.

Both of them seemed somewhat taken aback by her tone. Sasuke looks at Kurenai with a stunned expression. It was as if he couldn't believe that Kurenai had gotten into the middle of their fight. Kurenai almost couldn't believe it herself truthfully. Kiba on the other hand, looked somewhat guilty.

"I know you are worried about me, Kiba. I appreciate it. You're a good friend, but this is my decision. It's not yours or anyone else's. If you don't trust him, that's fine. You don't have to. But you should trust me. You should respect my judgment. If you can trust me on life or death missions to have your back, then you should do the same here." Hinata says as she walks over to Sasuke.

Kiba couldn't believe it. To some degree, Kurenai was sanctioning this blasphemy. Hinata was completely brainwashed it seemed.

He sighs. He knew that at the moment, Hinata wouldn't change her mind. Nothing good would come form continuing to argue about it. Maybe he could reason with her later, when Sasuke wasn't standing next to her.

"I do trust your judgment. It's him that I don't trust." Kiba says after a tense pause.

"That's fine. You don't to. I trust him and that's what matters." Hinata says and she places a reassuring kiss on Sasuke's cheek.

It was a miracle that he hadn't attacked Kiba. Hinata mentally sighs in relief at this knowledge. Sasuke was learning to control his temper. In the old days, he probably would have killed Kiba.

It terrified Hinata to know that he could do it easily. Kiba was strong, but Sasuke was in another league. The only hope that Kiba would have for survival is if she somehow managed to lock up Sasuke's chakra points in that scenario.

"Hinata, would you like to go get something to eat?" Sasuke asks.

Hinata knew what he was really asking though. _"Would you like to leave with me, before I lose control and attack him?"_ She simply nods her head and bids farewell to her teammates as she heads off with Sasuke.

"I'm proud of you." She says as they walk off with Yuki.

"For what?" Sasuke asks innocently, as if he didn't know what Hinata meant.

"For controlling your temper like that. I would have been very upset, if you had attacked him. Kiba is my friend and teammate. I don't want anything bad to happen to him." She continues.

Sasuke nods. He figured that killing her teammate probably wasn't the way to get her back in that little red number again. So he had kept his temper in check. Kiba wasn't a major threat. Hinata had stood up for him, even when she thought that Sasuke wasn't there. That meant a lot to him.

"I realized that. That's really the only reason he's still breathing." Sasuke replies as they head towards the Ramen Shop.

She was worth it. Hinata was beautiful, strong, kind, and loyal. Loyalty was the most important of those qualities though. It was nice to know that she would defend him, when push came to shove.

There were very few people that Sasuke could honestly say that about. Maybe that was why he had been able to say it. He had been able to tell her that he loved her because he meant it.

Hinata was worth killing over. He smirks as he remembers the image of the Council's corpses. No one was going to take his family from him this time.


	13. Chapter 13

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thank you for the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** For those of you that like your lemonade, I think you'll enjoy this chapter. Warnings have been put up before and after it. So you can skip it, if you prefer a more innocent story.

Chapter 13

The next day, Hinata was given an extra day off. She decides to surprise Sasuke. When she got to his home, frowns when she didn't immediately find him. He had to be here though. She could feel his chakra nearby.

"Sasuke?" She calls out.

Hearing no response, she looks around. She didn't see him. She sighs and activates her Byakugan. She gets an eyeful. Hinata immediately deactivates her Byakugan.

Sasuke didn't answer her because he was in the shower. The water must have drowned out her voice. He was in the shower _without clothes._

The Hyuga Heiress mentally smacked herself for that observation. Of course he didn't shower with his clothes on! Who did? She had only gotten an eyeful for a few seconds, but it was more than enough to make her blush redder than she ever had in her entire life.

"Well at least he doesn't know that I accidentally saw him." She mumbles to herself.

"If I didn't feel your chakra from activating your Byakugan, that blush would have told me." Sasuke informs her with amusement as he walks down the stairs.

Sasuke was _fast._ Somehow he had recognized she was there, gotten out of the shower, thrown on a bathrobe, and begun to descend the stairs in under a minute. Hinata would have been impressed, if she wasn't completely mortified. She suddenly found her feet very interesting.

"I didn't mean to spy on you. I was just looking for you. You normally answer right away when I call out for you." She stammers.

"I'm not angry. I just didn't hear you over the shower. That's all. I thought you worked today." He says as he walks over to her.

She mumbles something about getting the day off unexpectedly and wanting to surprise him. Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. He wraps his arms around the very embarrassed woman and kisses the top of her head.

"You definitely surprised me. Hinata, you don't need to look so mortified. I'm not angry. You can look anytime you want. You can TOUCH anytime you want." He purrs seductively in her ear, causing the Hyuga woman to blush even redder.

Sasuke didn't think that it was possible for a human's face to turn that red. Hinata had to be defying biology or something at the moment. Still he was never one to waste an opportunity.

Hinata sighs in relief. At least he knew she wasn't spying on him. This was the first time that she had seen his hair wet. Hmm the spikes went down pretty significantly when his hair was wet. She was idly amused by this discovery, until she made the mistake of looking down.

He must have thrown that bathrobe on before he dried off. Even if she hadn't accidentally stolen a peek with her Byakugan, the way that robe clung to his soaked skin…left very little to the imagination.

"That's good. It's good that you aren't angry." She says.

"Well it is a little annoying that my shower got cut off, but you can make that up to me. Come join me?" He asks.

Sasuke knew that was a move that could backfire. Still she had worn the lingerie for him and the fact that she raced off yet, was a hopeful sign. He was never going to restore his Clan, if she was too embarrassed to even look at him.

He shakes his head and stands behind her. Sasuke places a trail of soft kisses against her neck. His kitten preferred to be caressed in a gentle fashion, as far as he could tell.

"S-asuke, that's really not fair." She sighs in contentment and tilts her head to the side, exposing more of her neck to him.

"I never claimed to fight fair. Besides, aren't you supposed to be rewarding me for good behavior? The village is still in one peace and I haven't attacked Kiba." He reminds her.

He wasn't going to say that he hadn't killed anyone. That would be a lie. Sasuke couldn't bring himself to lie to the innocent woman in his arms, but he could neglect to mention _small details_ like that.

"Well that's true." She mumbles.

Hinata bites her lower lip. Sasuke had been on good behavior by his standards. He had been every inch a "good boyfriend," since their unusual relationship started. He hadn't really pressed much further than kissing and a few caresses here and there. For a guy that wanted to restore his Clan more than anything, that had to be practically torturous.

"Relax. I won't bite, unless you want me to. I might nip though." He admits and Hinata shivers.

"Alright." She says and Sasuke smirks.

He hadn't actually expected her to agree. This was something of a miracle. He knew that he had to proceed cautiously though. She was clearly still feeling rather shy.

"Good." He says and he scoops her up Bridal Style, before carrying her to the bathroom.

Hinata giggles at this gesture and Sasuke smirks. He was grateful that his new arm had finally adjusted. While he wouldn't be able to use it as well as his original arm when it came to jutsus just yet, it was healed enough that he could carry her with both arms. Really that was what mattered most at the moment.

"Why don't you get in first?" Sasuke asks as he sets her down.

It was a close call, but he figured she'd be less embarrassed about being naked than seeing him that way. He could stand behind her at first. Let her get used to the idea.

"Okay." She whispers and slowly starts tugging her medic uniform off, much to Sasuke's delight.

Hinata felt her face heat up. She couldn't believe that she was actually stripping in front of Sasuke. If anyone had told her that she would be doing this even a year ago, she would have suspected that they were suffering from a major head injury or just plain crazy. Yet, here she was.

"I told you that you don't need to be so shy." Sasuke says, suddenly standing behind her and helping her out of the uniform.

If she kept disrobing that slowly, she'd probably lose her nerve. Sasuke realized this and decided to take countermeasures. This was the most progress that he had made with her in months of subtly and not so subtly courting her. He wasn't going to let this chance slip through his fingers, that easily.

"Can't help it. You're the first man to see me like this, that wasn't a medic or a family member." She admits.

"I figured as much. I'd much prefer to keep it that way." He informs her and turns on the water.

Hinata shyly steps into the shower. She hears Sasuke slip out of the bathrobe and get behind her. She felt her face heat up. She couldn't see him, but her Byakugan had already done that. She knew exactly what he looked like.

 **Warning Lemon**

Well when he wasn't excited anyway, but even in his "resting state" he was certainly well endowed. Hinata knew this because she was a medic. She knew far more about the male body than her father probably was comfortable with. So while her personal experience was limited, she could still make accurate comparisons.

"I can practically hear your mind traveling a thousand miles a minute. What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?" He whispers hotly in her ear.

"It's s-illy." She stammers Sasuke shakes his head as he leaves a trail of kisses along her neck and shoulders.

 _Beautiful._ He definitely liked the lingerie on her, but loved her without it even more. Sasuke hadn't know that he could get aroused that fast. He idly notes this and continues his gentle administrations, hoping to coax some answers out of her.

"I don't mind silly. Besides, I doubt anything that goes on in your mind is silly. That's one of the things that I like about you. You're intelligent. You just don't boast about it." He tells her and feeling a little bolder, he caresses her naked breasts.

That was much better than with the clothes on. So soft and warm. Tsunade should be jealous. Hinata's were large and NATURAL. He smirks when he hears Hinata gasp and lean back into him.

"I didn't mean to see you like that, but I saw…everything." She moans quietly and sighs in contentment at feeling Sasuke's hands on her.

"Uh huh?" The last Uchiha says as he traces his fingertips around Hinata's nipples with one hand and his other begins sliding further south.

"And I'm a medic." Hinata squeaks in surprise, but doesn't protest.

Sasuke was more than aware of her occupation. He didn't see what that had to do with anything. Still he gestures for her to continue as he caresses the curve of her ass and squeezes lightly.

"Yes?" He says encouragingly.

"I um well know things about human anatomy. Enough to make comparisons." She admits.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. It wasn't exactly something he spent a great deal of time on, but he was pretty sure he now knew where this was going. He'd never been particularly insecure about his body, but now that she mentioned it…well he almost had to ask.

"And how did I _measure up_ in these comparisons?" He asks in amusement, while cupping her womanhood.

"Nhh! R-eally well. Though it's not really accurate. You weren't excited." She moans when she felt his hand against her.

That felt really good. His hand was so warm and touch was far more confident than hers had ever been. Hinata had experimented with self-gratification. Everyone had. She had always come away feeling more embarrassed than anything else.

"Well I suppose we should make sure that you have complete data to work with. It'd be HARD to make accurate comparisons otherwise." He states and Hinata almost jumps when she felt something press against her thigh that she was damn sure wasn't a kunai or a sword.

"Yes. That's true." She says quickly.

Sasuke shakes his head. She was just so damn innocent. He turns her around and captures her lips in a heated kiss. The raven haired teases her breasts with one hand and her womanhood with the other. He quickly found her clit and delighted in the moans that soon resulted from the attention he gave to it.

Hinata arches into his touches. It felt good. Really good. She could feel the lower half of her body practically hum with desire. Wanting to make sure it was a mutual exchange, she grasps him in her hand and strokes him.

Never in a million years, did she ever dream that she would actually stroke him in such an intimate fashion. She felt some smug satisfaction when Sasuke breaks the kiss and groans in pleasure.

"Like I said, you can look and touch, anytime you want." He purrs in approval and flicks his tongue against a sensitive nipple, before taking it into his hot mouth and sucking on it.

She gasps and moans. That sent a jolt of heat straight to her core. The bluenette strokes him faster, liking the way he thrust into her hand. At least she knew that she wasn't the only one lost in these new sensations.

"Sasuke!" She moans and writhes against his talented touches.

"Just relax." He instructs and slips a single digit inside her.

He felt Hinata buck against him immediately. Sasuke knew that Hinata was a complete innocent. It was important to be gentle. That wasn't usually something that he was good at, but he didn't want to hurt her or make her skittish about intimacy. So for her, he could and would be gentle.

Sasuke was barely inside her and already marveled at how hot, tight, and wet she was. This was particularly true about the tightness. He slowly moves his finger inside her and smirks when he heard her moan. Well he had found her spot.

"Good girl." He praises her as she moans and rocks against his hand, after he adds a second finger.

He felt her stroke him faster and her other hand was now gliding over his chest. Her fingertips ghost over his abs a bit longer than other places. So Sasuke decides that that his kitten liked his abs, almost as much as he liked her breasts. That information could prove useful in the future.

"Go stand against the wall with your back towards me." Sasuke says.

"Why?" Hinata asks and whimpers when he slowly slides his fingers out of her.

"Trust me, you'll like it." Her almost lover promises and Hinata hesitates, but does as asked.

Sasuke takes a moment to admire the beautiful view of Hinata's backside. He knew it had been awkward for her to move that foot or so to the wall. Her thighs were still quivering with arousal. Still it was better this way.

"Good kitten." He tells her and gets behind her, sitting on his knees.

Hinata shivers. There was something very wicked about the way he said that. She didn't know what he was planning on doing exactly. He wasn't going to actually take her against the wall, with her back towards him, was he?

Sasuke gently parts her legs and flicks his tongue against her sensitive clit and womanhood. He smirks when he heard her gasp and moan rather loudly. She liked to be licked it seemed.

"S-asuke! That's really dirty." She exclaims and squirms.

"You like it though. I can tell because of how wet you are for me." He tells her and hearing no further protests, decides to continue his administrations.

He lavished her with his rough, warm tongue. He kissed, licked, and even nipped occasionally. Her moans got louder and more desperate. He could taste her desire on the tip of his tongue and knew that she was close by how much she was writhing against him.

"I'm not going to lie. This is going to hurt at first, but I promise it will feel good soon." He says after he stops teasing her womanhood with his mouth and stands up.

Hinata didn't have time to respond to that verbally before Sasuke spun her around. He maneuvers her so that Hinata's legs were wrapped around his waist. Sasuke places his arms around her hips and makes sure she is firmly against the wall, before slowly sliding into his new lover.

"Sasuke!" She whimpers and Sasuke kisses her comfortingly.

He knew that it was because he had just taken her virginity. Sasuke had purposely stopped right before he thought she was about to climax, he figured that would lessen the pain. He was sure that it had, he didn't particularly care for the slight whimper of pain…even if it had been unavoidable.

Hinata kisses back. She wraps her legs around him tighter. He was already inside her, so she knew that it was only a matter of time before the discomfort faded. She was a ninja. She could handle pain. She wiggles her hips against him encouragingly, realizing that helped.

Sasuke moans and breaks the kiss, to cover her jaw and neck in adoring kisses as he thrusts into her. It took all his self-control not to find his release right then and there. Fuck! She was so hot, tight, and wet. She felt perfectly against him like a glove.

"Doesn't hurt anymore." She whispers and runs her hands along his muscular back in a sensual massage.

"Good. You feel so good." He praises her and moves faster, aiming for that spot that he had found earlier.

It didn't take long for him to find it. Soon Hinata was moaning and arching against him desperately. It was a glorious experience. Every sound, every sight, every touch, and even her scent was driving him insane. Sasuke didn't know that his body could actually feel this _**GOOD.**_

Hinata moans and tries to match his pace. She latched onto him desperately. She felt a bit guilty when she realized her nails were probably cutting into his back, but she couldn't help it. She needed an anchor. Every time he hit that spot inside her, she felt like she was flying.

"So do you!" She pants out wantonly.

Soon the two were moving as one. It didn't take long for the two lovers to spiral over the edge. Their orgasms hit both of them like a tidal wave.

Sasuke slowly slides out of his lover. He wraps his arms around Hinata protectively and holds her. Hinata was grateful for this move. She didn't quite trust her legs at the moment. They felt like jello. A wonderfully satisfied jello, but jello nonetheless.

 **End of Lemon**

"Wow." Hinata pants and Sasuke nods in agreement.

"I told you that you didn't have to be so shy. It's much more fun when you aren't." He tells her with a smirk and caresses her cheek.

Hinata felt herself blush. She couldn't believe that she had just done that. She had just lost her virginity to a former S Class Criminal. A former criminal who tossed out death threats like one might toss out candy at a parade.

She had been completely wanton. The bluenette couldn't believe that she had allowed him to put his mouth THERE and take her against a shower wall. Even more shocking, is how good her body felt. If she had actually been the kitten that Sasuke called her, she'd be purring.

"That's true." She admits with a deep blush.

"Such a shy kitten, when you aren't moaning my name in such a beautiful way." He says and carries her off.

Sasuke wondered if she was pregnant. They hadn't used protection. It was far too early to tell. The odds of her getting pregnant from one time, seemed low. But he was definitely more than willing to increase those odds.

She had given herself to him once. So seducing her a second, third, fourth time should be much easier. Well actually seducing her in general should be much easier now.

Hinata was just so innocent and easily flustered, that he was fairly confident she wouldn't remember to use the jutsu without being reminded. Sooner or later, her cycle would line up with their lovemaking. In the meaning time, clan restoration was turning out to be a much more enjoyable experience than his younger self had anticipated.

"Sasuke!" She exclaims.

"It's true and you know it. Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" He asks in concern as he lays her down on his bed.

"You didn't hurt me. Well maybe a little at first, but there's really no avoiding that." HInata mumbles and Sasuke nods.

He smiles and wraps them protectively in the blankets. The last Uchiha would never admit this to anyone, but he did enjoy holding her. Naruto would have laughed his ass off, if he found out Sasuke liked cuddling.

Naturally, Sasuke would have had to kill him for that offense. So understandably, it was important that this little fact never get out. Really, it was for everyone's safety. But with Hinata, it was different. With her, he could indulge in some afterglow cuddling.

"Good. It won't hurt next time or at least it will hurt less." He promises her and wraps his arms around his new lover.

"Mmm I know." She replies and snuggles into him.

Hinata mentally kicks herself for that one. She had just indirectly agreed to have sex with him AGAIN. She shouldn't have done that.

The bluenette bites her lower lip. Well she had been dating him for awhile. Sasuke had really been the model boyfriend during that time. Well other than the death threats to others, but with her he had been the perfect gentleman. (Well for the most part.)

"You seem…worried about something." He comments.

She was biting her lip. He HIGHLY doubted it was an issue with his _performance._ That couldn't be it. She had clearly enjoyed being with him. Maybe she had just realized that they didn't use protection.

"It's just that…I really like being with you. I shouldn't though. You're so kind to me, but with everyone else you're…not." She mumbles.

"You are saying that you feel guilty for enjoying my touch because I'm the "bad guy." Does it matter? You didn't seem to mind a few minutes ago." He says and lightly bites on her neck.

She blushes. He was right about that. Sasuke made her do things that she never would have done, otherwise.

"I didn't. I just want to know that you won't leave again. That you won't attack the village later on. That's all." She syas.

"Hinata, after THAT, I'd have to be the biggest moron on the planet to leave the Leaf. It would mean leaving you. Why would I want to do that? Did my hair suddenly turn blonde and did I suddenly get a ramen fetish? Because I am not Naruto. I'm not an idiot." He informs her.

The Hyuga Heiress finds herself laughing, despite the serious situation. That was just so Sasuke. He had a very…interesting sense of humor to put it mildly.

"That "idiot" is your best friend." She protests.

"Yes, he is. He's brave, loyal, and honest. But that doesn't change the fact that he is an idiot. Had he not been such an oblivious idiot, he could have been in my place. I won't make the same mistake he did though." Sasuke replies in a very cocky fashion.

Hinata shakes her head in amusement. She giggles and closes her eyes. She snuggles further into his side and soon dozes off.

Sasuke smiles. He kisses the top of her head. He wondered how she would react if she was pregnant. They hadn't been together that long, but they were far more committed to each other than a one night stand.

"She'd probably panic." He muses.

If he got her pregnant, he was almost positive that Hiashi would demand a marriage immediately. He didn't have a problem with that. He did intend to marry her. She was going to be the mother of his children after all and should have the proper title of wife.

Hmm he should probably propose before he knew she was pregnant. He didn't want Hinata to think that he just wanted to marry her only for their children's sake. That was a big part of it, but it was more than that now. He couldn't imagine not having her in his life at this point.

"Damn it." He mutters.

This meant that he would have to go shopping again. He LOATHED shopping in this village. Sasuke Uchiha was sick and tired of being interrogated every time that he wanted to buy something.

He smiles as he looks at her sleeping face. He'd do it for her though. The last Uchiha would deal with the idiots to get her ring. After all, he had already killed for her. It should be a relatively simple batter to not strangle random villagers as he bought a ring, in comparison.


	14. Chapter 14

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Glad everyone enjoyed the lemonade. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I know there is supposedly a difference between engagement and wedding rings. But for simplicity's sake, I'm referring to it as a wedding ring and there will only be one ring. I also made up the chakra pregnancy test. I've used it in other stories before.

Chapter 14

The next day, Sasuke decides to go buy the ring. There really was no point in putting it off. As much as he loathed shopping in the Leaf Village, it was just unavoidable if he wanted to propose to Hinata.

He did want to propose. It was the proper thing to do. The odds were low, but she might already be pregnant. If that was the case, well they were on something of a timeline. He couldn't imagine she would want to get married when she was heavily pregnant.

"Might as well get this over with." He mutters as he heads out of the Uchiha District.

That and Hiashi would likely try to kill them if they waited until after she had the baby, to get married. The Hyuga Patriarch was a very proud and traditional man. Having his precious heir pregnant out of wedlock, would probably cause him to have a stroke or something.

Plus it would be very difficult to plan a wedding, when you were caring for a newborn. Newborns required constant care. It'd be almost impossible to plan a wedding and provide that. (He was aware that some couples managed it, but he just didn't see him and Hinata being one of these couples.)

"Did they move the jewelry shop? Ah. There it is." Sasuke mutters as he enters Hell.

Ahem. He meant the Shopping District. Hmm on second thought, there really was no difference between Hell and the Shopping District. (Well other than temperature anyway.)

He heads into the jewelry shop. Sasuke sighs when every single head turned towards him. He mentally counted to ten and tried to tell himself that Hinata would likely not like it, if she found out he had gone on a murderous rampage. This was especially true because he was shopping for her wedding ring.

"C-an I help you? I'm Ryo." One of the clerks asks nervously.

The man looked to be around 40 or so. He had long straight brown hair that reached to his shoulders and forest green eyes. Said hair was already starting to turn gray. He had a medium build and his knees were shaking at the mere sight of Sasuke.

 _"You can shut up and let me look at the rings,"_ Sasuke thought to himself. Of course, he was a ninja. He had more self-control than that. Besides, this clerk looked absolutely terrified. The last Uchiha suspected he might actually faint on him.

"I just want to look at the rings." He says simply.

"Oh we have many fine rings. Follow me." The clerk says, sounding somewhat relieved that Sasuke hadn't killed him yet.

Rio leads the raven haired ninja to another side of the store. There were many displays of rings. All kinds of rings. Sasuke didn't see any wedding rings though.

"These aren't exactly what I was looking for. I meant wedding rings." Sasuke clarifies.

The clerk's eyes widen to the size of saucers. It was kinda impressive really. Sasuke just shakes his head at the other man's reaction.

"Um yes. Those are special. So we keep them in another section. I'll take you right to them." Rio says and leads Sasuke off towards the wedding ring displays.

Sasuke didn't really know much about jewelry, but he knew enough to recognize expressive gems when he saw them. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, pearls, and many other precious stones were laid out on hundreds of rings. Gold, silver, platinum, and steel bands held them up. Some were engraved and others weren't. Some had multiple stones and others only had one large gem on them. The variety was somewhat overwhelming.

"Do you have that one in a size eight?" He asks as he points to one of the bands.

"Yes, we do. A fine choice. Very romantic as well." Ryo informs him.

The ring had two sapphires cut into the shape of hearts connected together with one white diamond framing the right and left side of it. The band was silver.

"Good. I'll take it." Sasuke says.

He glances at the price tag and hands the man the money, before grabbing the ring box and heading out. Sasuke resisted the urge to Chidori all the villagers who were staring at him. He knew that he'd have to propose to Hinata quickly.

The rumor mill was about to go into overdrive. Sasuke Uchiha had bought a wedding ring. He sighs and heads towards the Hyuga Estate with that thought in mind.

"I had better talk to Hiashi before he hears about it from someone else." He growls under his breath.

My God, did he hate the people in this village. Other than Hinata and Naruto, they really irritated him. He still couldn't for the life of him understand why Itachi had chosen the Leaf over their family. Well he did in the abstract. A great ninja war could have been launched if he hadn't, but did they all have to be so annoying?!

"I'd like to speak to Lord Hiashi." Sasuke says to one of the Hyugas.

He didn't know this one's name. Other than Hiashi, Hinata, her sister, and the late Neji…they all looked alike to him. He really was going to have to start learning their names at some point, he muses to himself.

"Of course. Please wait here, while I inform him of your arrival." Hyuga Clone number 432 says as he heads into the estate to find his Patriarch.

A few minutes later, Hiashi comes out with the other Hyuga. He gestures for Sasuke to follow him. The raven haired ninja does so and eventually they end up in a room that was clearly designed to serve tea in.

"I assume that you have something important that you wish to discuss with me. It's not like you to seek out my company merely to socialize." He states and pours them each a cup of tea.

He didn't ask Sasuke if he wanted any. He just poured it. Sasuke saw it for what it was.

It was a familiar gesture that calmed his nerves. A nervous tick perhaps? Well if you could ever apply that description to Hiashi Hyuga. He was the very embodiment of regal grace under pressure.

"I do. I know that Hinata and I haven't been courting that long, but I know what I want. You have two daughters. Hanabi could be the heir of the Hyuga Clan. I am planning to propose to her. I wanted to get your blessing first." He states simply.

Hiashi frowns. That wasn't what he expected. It was hardly a spur of the moment decision, but that was still a fast courtship. Then again, this was Sasuke. He likely wanted to get started on restoring his Clan as soon as possible.

Sasuke was apparently old fashioned enough that to some extent he cared about getting Hiashi's blessing and wanted Hinata to be married to him, before said restoration began. The Hyuga Patriarch did take some small measure of comfort in this. There was still a practical side to him at least. Perhaps even a romantic side.

"I'm certain that you know what I'm gong to say. You haven't been together that long. Are you certain that you are ready for the commitment of a marriage?" Hiashi inquires.

"I know that, but I am. Quite honestly, I've never even considered anyone else. Have I give you reason to believe that I would mistreat her?" Sasuke counters.

Hiashi sighs. Well no. Sasuke had even come to her birthday celebration. For goodness sake, he had even gotten her a puppy. There was genuine affection there. Sasuke's mind might be twisted, but there was at least a part of him that was not completely damaged.

He had expected Sasuke to lose interest or for him to mistreat Hinata. As far as he could tell, neither had happened. That did honestly surprise him.

"You haven't given me cause to believe that. I am not entirely certain that this is a good idea, but I do appreciate you asking for my blessing first. If she says yes, I will not raise objections. Do not make me regret this." Hiashi warns him.

"Thank you. I appreciate your honesty." Sasuke replies and sips his tea.

"Have you gotten her a ring? That is an important decision. Women are very sentimental about that sort of thing." His future father-in-law points out.

Sasuke nods. He takes a jewelry box out of his pocket and shows it to Hiashi. The elder ninja opens it and examines the ring.

"Well it is a fine ring. If she rejects your proposal, I doubt it would be because of the ring." He muses.

"She's not going to reject the proposal." Sasuke replies automatically.

"If she does, I want you to respect her decision." Hiashi informs him in a stern voice that reminded Sasuke a great deal of his own father.

Sasuke gives the Hyuga man a dirty look for that. What kind of monster did the aristocrat take him for? Of course, he would respect her decision. He just knew what her decision would be.

"I will respect her decision. I'm just fortunate that I already know what it will be. I won't take up anymore of your time." Sasuke says, takes the box back, and heads off.

Meanwhile Hinata was at the hospital. Her day was going normally. So far she hadn't had to deal with any life threatening injuries. That was always a good thing.

Well at leas that was the case until lunch rolled around. That's when things got worse and fast. Sakura had apparently seen that her walk was a bit stiffer than usual. Yeah. That's when a good day turned bad.

"Hinata, are you sure you are alright? Your walk is pretty stiff." She asks in concern.

"I'm fine, Sakura." Hinata says with a sweet smile.

Speaking of pretty stiff, that was how she got this slight limp in the first place. Sasuke had been pretty stiff. Well a certain part of him had been. She giggles at the thought.

"Hinata, what's so funny?" The pink haired woman asks in confusion.

"Nothing. Nothing. I'm fine, Sakura. I promise. Thank you for worrying about me though." The bluenette tries to assure her friend.

Hinata couldn't exactly tell her the truth. She knew how Sakura used to feel about Sasuke. How she still might feel about him, despite everything. She wasn't going to throw their relationship in the other woman's face. The Hyuga woman wasn't that cruel.

"Anytime. How is Yuki doing?" The green eyed woman asks.

"Oh Yuki is doing great. She's getting so big. Sasuke says that is just normal for the breed though." The Hyuga Heiress replies.

"That's good. She really is such a cute dog." Sakura offers and Hinata nods.

Sakura knew about Yuki. She didn't know that Sasuke got the ninja dog for her Christmas/birthday present. Hinata planned to keep it that way. She definitely wasn't going to tell Sakura about the second present Sasuke got her either.

"Tsunade is still grooming you to be the head medic?" HInata asks conversationally and the other woman nods.

"Yeah. It's going to take awhile. Probably another five years or so. Two if we push. I think Tsunade is just ready to retire, honestly. She's been through a lot. I can't really blame her." The pink haired ninja replies.

Hinata nods sympathetically. It was normal for ninjas to lose some of their loved ones, but Tsunade had some of the worst luck. She couldn't help but feel sorry for her in some respects.

"Is Kakashi still going to be the next Hokage? I know she was planning to choose him during the War." She asks.

"Not sure. I know that she wants Naruto to be Hokage. Maybe by then, he'll be old enough. I mean Gaara has been Kazekage for awhile and he was younger than Naruto is now, when he was selected." The other medic muses.

Hinata nods in agreement. Naruto would make a great Hokage. Kakashi would as well, but she knew that the silver haired man's heart wasn't in it. Naruto's was. That was a key difference. Enthusiasm vs. experience.

"So how is Sasuke's new arm? He won't tell me anything. I know he would tell you." Sakura asks, changing the subject.

"It seems to be working just fine with me. I haven't seen him use chakra with it, but I know that he can use it for everyday tasks just fine." Hinata replies and tries not to blush.

Everyday tasks like carrying her Bridal Style or holding her against the shower wall. Sakura didn't need to know that though. She really hoped that she wasn't blushing. Sakura would know something was up, if she blushed.

Later that night, she heads to the Uchiha District. She blinks when she saw Sasuke was sitting on the top of the roof. Hinata scales the roof and was soon at his side.

"Is there a leak or something?" She asks in confusion.

"No. There's no leak. I just like the view from up here." He says and gestures for her to look at the night sky.

 _Beautiful._ The moon was full and the night sky was filled with stars. She never would have thought Sasuke would have been someone who liked stargazing.

"I can see why." She says with a smile and sits next to him.

That was when she saw that he had brought a blanket and a picnic basket with him. Sasuke wanted to have a picnic under the stars. That was surprisingly sweet of him. Maybe sex made him more romantic?

"Mhm. How was work?" He asks as he leans over and kisses her.

"It was fine. I'm worried about Sakura though. She noticed that I was walking awkwardly. I didn't want to throw our relationship in her face." Hinata admits after returning the kiss.

Sasuke sighs. Hinata was far too nice sometimes. She was actually worried about Sakura's reaction. He couldn't for the life of him understand why. Oh well.

"Well she'll just have to get used to the idea of us together. She doesn't really have a choice. I chose you. Not her. I'll always choose you and I hope that you feel the same way." Sasuke says and hands her something.

Hinata looks at the object in her hands in confusion. It was a small velvet box. A rather expressive looking one. The kind that you only see at high class jewelry stores.

"Open it, kitten." He says and Hinata cautiously opens it and blinks at what she saw.

It was a beautiful wedding ring. It probably cost more than most people made in a year. Sasuke was proposing to her? She almost fell off the roof in shock. Thankfully, the last Uchiha caught her before she could completely fall over.

"Maybe proposing on the roof top wasn't my brightest idea." He muses.

"Well it is a beautiful night." She mumbles and leans into his hold.

"So is that a yes, then? I already asked for your father's blessing. He was hesitant, but gave it." Sasuke informs her.

Hinata blinks at that knowledge. Her father had actually approved? Well it was tentatively, but still. That honestly, surprised her. It was one thing for Sasuke to court her. It was another for him to want to marry her.

"Really? He gave you his blessing?" She asks in a stunned voice and Sasuke nods in confirmation.

"I think he knows that he couldn't stop me. As long as you said yes, I wasn't going to be talked out of it. Your father is a practical man." Her lover says.

The Hyuga Heiress nods in agreement. Well that was true. It wasn't like the Hyuga Patriarch could really stop them. Still it was nice that he had given his approval. No matter how reluctantly, it still counted.

"It's a yes." She says with a smile and kisses Sasuke.

Sasuke smiles and kisses back. He teleports them back inside the house. They spent the rest of the night making love. (Hinata might not realize this, but they were also making many attempts at Clan Restoration.)

A few weeks later, Sasuke and Hinata were heading back to the Uchiha District. They had just spent the day making plans for their wedding. Hinata was amazed that no one had died. Sasuke really, really hated shopping.

"I don't hate shopping. I just hate shopping in the Leaf Village. I'm tired of being looked at like I'm some tiger that just escaped from the zoo." He says.

"Mmm so if we were shopping in the Sand, things would be different?" She asks with a laugh and Sasuke nods.

"Yes, they would. Sand Villagers have better manners. I swear the only saving grace of this village is you and Naruto." He says with a heavy sigh.

Hinata giggles. She walks inside their home and then her eyes widen. She quickly runs towards the bathroom. Sasuke blinks.

"Hinata?" He calls out from behind the bathroom door.

He didn't get an answer right away. Sasuke could hear the sounds of vomiting though. A lot of it. The raven haired ninja sighs and opens the door. He walks over to her and dutifully holds her hair back.

"It's alright, kitten." He says soothingly and helps her up, once she had emptied her stomach of all of its contents.

Hinata leans into his hold. She couldn't believe she had just done that in front of her almost husband. That was embarrassing.

"Maybe we should get you to the hospital. You should get checked out. It might be food poisoning." He says.

"Good idea. It's p-robably better to have Tsunade look me over." She mumbles and Sasuke teleports them to the hospital.

Did he actually think it was food poisoning? Hell no. Sasuke had been extremely attentive during their engagement thus far. He was greatly enjoying introducing her to all the things he had learned at the Sound. (Well at least the things that weren't completely sadistic or too exotic for even his tastes.)

By now her cycle should have lined up. Hinata was a perfectly healthy young woman. The laws of probability had to hit sometime. He was almost positive that she was pregnant. Still it would be nice to get that officially confirmed.

"Lady Tsunade, I'm sorry to interrupt you. But could you please check me over. I've spent most of the past 15 minutes vomiting." Hinata admits.

Tsunade looks somewhat alarmed at that announcement. She nods her head and leads Hinata into an exam room. She tries to stop Sasuke, but that didn't go so well.

"She's going to be my wife. I have a right to be with her while she's getting examined!" Sasuke snaps at Tsunade.

"You're engaged?!" The medic stammers in shock.

"Yes. We were just getting back from doing some wedding planning, when I got sick." Hinata mumbles.

Tsunade just gapes at them. They were engaged?! This was unbelievable. Well she knew that they had been dating for awhile, but she certainly hadn't expected them to actually get married.

"Well let me check your vitals." She mutters and does so.

Hmm her vitals were all normal. No fever. Her pulse was normal. So was her breathing. Damn it. She really hoped it wasn't what she thought it was.

"I don't want to pry, but have you two been…intimate?" The medic inquires.

Hinata blushes. Sasuke just looks smug. Well that answered that question. Tsunade sighs and gets out the piece of paper to run the test.

"This is a chakra pregnancy test. When you touch it, it will turn from white to your natural chakra color. If the paper only changes one color, you are pregnant. If there is a small bit of another color, you are pregnant. That or if there is a shimmer. It's rare, but sometimes parents have the same chakra color as their child." Tsunade explains.

Hinata's eyes widen. She should have thought of this. Sasuke had definitely been…affectionate lately. It was just so easy to get caught up in the moment. Sasuke was a natural seducer. She hadn't even thought to use the Jutsu. She might be pregnant.

"Al-right." She says and cautiously touches the paper.

It transforms into a lovely violet color. There was a small speck of blue though. Hinata's eyes widen. She was pregnant.

"Well… I suppose congratulations are in order." Tsunade muses.

"Does the fact that it's blue mean anything? Is it a boy?" Sasuke asks curiously.

"Oh no. That's just a cultural thing. The blue vs. pink means nothing when it comes to this test. That's just his or her chakra color. Hmm blue might mean he or she is more inclined to a water or lightning affinity though." Tsunade adds thoughtfully.

Sasuke nods. He wraps his arms around Hinata and kisses the top of her head. The Hyuga woman was clearly in shock. He didn't know if she was happy or unhappy about it. She was just in shock.

"Good to know. Hinata?" He asks softly.

"I guess I sh-ould have expected this. I mean you're been so…it was only a matter of time." She mumbles.

"I believe the word you might be looking for is affectionate?" Tsunade suggests and Hinata nods with a blush.

Tsunade wasn't an idiot. Sasuke had clearly been trying to get his lover pregnant. The fact that she had a wedding ring on her finger, before that though was surprising. So he hadn't deliberately trapped her into a marriage by getting her pregnant.

"Hinata, let's get you home. You need your rest." Sasuke murmurs into her ear and caresses her cheek.

"Come back next week. Do take this bottle of prenatal vitamins. The instructions are on the label. For now, you can continue your work as a medic if you wish. If you don't, you do have a year of maternity leave you can take." Tsunade offers.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I'll have to think about the maternity leave." Hinata replies and Sasuke nods, pocketing the bottle.

He scoops Hinata up in his arms and teleports them back to their home. Sasuke gently lays her on the bed and joins her. The last adult Uchiha wraps his arms around her and cuddles.

"I don't want you to worry about anything. I'll take good care of you and our baby. I promise." He says and kisses her cheek.

"I know." Hinata says with a smile and leans into his loving embrace.

She hadn't planned this. Well she had agreed to marry him. Logically, she knew that motherhood was just a foregone conclusion at some point. She just hadn't expected it to be this soon.

Any anxiety she might have had was quickly caste aside. Sasuke was practically glowing with happiness and holding her so lovingly. She smiles and snuggles into him.

God help them all, the second their child got a scraped knee or something. Daddy Uchiha would probably level the village, she thought jokingly. Well at least she hoped it was a joke.


	15. Chapter 15

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for all the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Yeah. Sasuke isn't getting off that easily. This chapter is going to be extremely dramatic. I got choked up a bit while writing it. If you are sensitive, you might want to skip this one.

 **Hinata's Characterization:** Some people can make a legitimate argument that she should have just left. By this point, she does love him and has a child to consider. So I think she would stay for those reasons and because turning him in wouldn't undo what he did to the Council.

Chapter 15

"Did you hear the news?" Naruto asks Hinata and Sasuke as they were having lunch a few days later.

"What news?" Sasuke asks as he bites into his meal.

Hinata smiles. She could feel Sasuke's other hand on her thigh. Her future husband was almost always touching her now. She supposed it was a subconscious thing. He wanted to know that she was really there and that their baby was alright.

"The Council crashed. They were on their way to the Land of Tea and their carriage just fell over the a cliff. They got crushed to death instantly. Everyone's been wondering where they went. Now they finally know." The blonde says.

"Well I'm assuming their deaths were instant. So at least they didn't feel any pain." Sasuke offers.

Naruto nods in agreement. Hinata frowns. Nothing about what Sasuke had said was odd. His tone was even normal. So why was the hair on the back of her neck sticking up? Why did she feel like it might not have been an accident after all?

She shakes her head. The Hyuga Heiress mentally scolds herself. They had fallen over the cliff on New Year's Eve. Sasuke had been at the party. There was no way he could have had anything to do with it.

"Yeah. So how are the wedding plans going? Is everything going to be ready for next week?" The blue eyed ninja inquires.

"Great! It's a good thing that we were already planning the wedding. I'm glad that it will happen before I'm showing. It would have been hard to find a kimono that fit, if we waited too long." Hinata mumbles.

Sasuke nods in agreement. He squeeze's his lover's thigh reassuringly. She seemed a bit tense. He pawned it off to either wedding jitters or maybe nerves. She was going to be a first time mother. It was only natural to be nervous.

"Yeah. Good point. Don't you have to get back to the hospital, Hinata?" Naruto asks with a laugh.

"I'm on maternity leave. It's early, but I know Sasuke. It's safer for everyone if I just take the leave. I can't imagine what he'd do if someone even looked at me the wrong way, while I was pregnant." She says with a giggle.

Naruto couldn't help but agree. Sasuke was definitely in overprotective mode. Still it was a good thing. The bastard was just worried about his lover and son or daughter. That was all.

"Yeah. I can see you flipping out over that." The blonde teases Sasuke.

"I'd Chidori them so fast, that you it would make your head spin. Want to head home?" He asks Hinata.

"Alright. It's a miracle that my Morning Sickness hasn't interrupted our lunch already. I don't really feel like pushing my luck." She admits and Sasuke heads off with Hinata, leaving enough money on the table to pay for their bill.

Once they were home, Hinata had to ask. She had to know. There were really four things that she knew about her husband. He was a fantastic lover, a devoted father, a potentially mentally unstable and powerful ninja, and he had never lied to her. If she asked, he would tell her the truth.

"Sasuke, did you…know about the Council deaths before everyone else? Your reaction was odd. I know that you were at the New Year's Eve party, but you really hated them." She says in a rush.

Sasuke sighs. He walks over to her and tilts her chin up so that she was looking into his eyes. He had to come clean. Perhaps it was better to do so before the marriage.

"I did. I was hoping that you would never find out, but I guess it's better this way. I left a clone at the party for a few hours. That way no one could question me. Then I followed them. Aoda spooked the horses. I cut their harness. The horses fled. The carriage fell over the cliff. That was the end of them. I did it for us. I did it for our child. I wasn't going to let them live and have history repeat itself." Sasuke admits.

Hinata's eyes widen. She hadn't wanted to believe it. The Hyuga Heiress had not wanted to believe that the man who made love to her almost daily, could kill in cold blood like that.

"How could you do that?! How could you murder people and not care? You were going to marry me and never tell me the truth!" She accuses him.

"Very easily. They ordered my brother to massacre our family. They would have done it again, if given another chance. So I didn't let them. I protected us. I didn't want you to know because I knew how you were going to react." Sasuke tells her.

How she was going to react?! He had killed for her. Sasuke was clearly trying to claim self-defense in a way. Part of her could understand his logic and that disturbed her. What was she becoming?!

"I can't believe you would do that! You killed in cold blood! That wasn't self-defense, Sasuke. That was murder. You also treated me like a fool. You were going to marry me and have me continue to be oblivious to what you were really like." She yells at him.

"Hinata, you're a ninja. We are forced to kill all the time. You're right. I should have told you, but I just didn't have the heart to do so. You're so… **good.** Honestly, I didn't want the harsh realities of the world to touch you. I wanted to protect you from it. It wasn't because I was trying to trick you. I wanted you to be happy. That's all." Her lover says.

The bluenette bites her lower lip. Sasuke wouldn't lie to her, but he would apparently keep secrets from her. He did it out of some twisted desire to protect her, but still.

"That's different! That's in the heat of battle. That's not premeditated murder!" She practically screams at him.

"Are you going to turn me in? Would you deny our child a father and yourself a loving husband over **THEM?!** If that's what you want to do, I won't fight you. I could never hurt you, Hinata. I love you. But why would you throw away everything for a bunch of treacherous dead vipers that already had one foot in the grave?" Sasuke asks her.

Hinata backs up as if she had been struck. Sasuke was right. If she turned him in, he would be executed. Her lover was unbelievably lucky to be pardoned the first time. Sasuke wouldn't get a second time.

If that happened, her child would grow up without a father. Worse than that, he or she would be the child of a traitor. They'd be taunted without mercy. Their child would be absolutely miserable and would ask her why she had ever loved a homicidal criminal. She would have to justify it somehow.

"I don't know." She whispers.

"Kitten, it's still me. You know that I love you and our baby. I was just protecting you both. That's all." He says and cautiously approaches her, trying to caress her cheek.

 _"How could his touch still be so loving and gentle."_ Hinata wondered to herself. Were these really the hands of a calculating assassin? Yes, they were. They were also the hands of her wonderful lover. The same hands that had seduced her completely and given her a child. She felt dizzy at his knowledge.

"Other than the Council, have you killed ANYONE or HURT anyone else that I don't know about? Since you came back, have you? I mean physically and emotionally. I want the truth. What kind of man was I about to marry?" She demands.

 _Was._ That was past tense. Did she not want to marry him anymore? Sasuke felt as though Haku had attacked him with thousands of senbon again. Had the Council cost him everything, even from beyond the grave?!

Damn them. He should have made them suffer more. He wasn't going to let it happen. Not again! Sasuke feels his eyes bleed red.

"You know about everything now. The Council were the only ones I killed. You know about the fight with Tsunade, Sakura, and Kiba. That was everything. I haven't hurt anyone else." Sasuke tells her.

Hinata nods. Despite her better judgment, she believed him. Sasuke hadn't had to confess. He could have denied it. It wasn't like she had any proof. So there was no reason for him to lie about there being others.

Still she takes a few steps back at the sight of his Sharingan. Hinata had come to associate the Sharingan with his desire for her. It usually meant only pleasure, but right now…she wasn't so sure.

"Good. I I…need to think about this." She stammers.

Sasuke winces. Hinata was terrified of him. She'd never been scared of him. Not even in the beginning of their relationship. His kitten was trying to back away from him, as if he was some rabid dog! This was NOT fucking right!

"Hinata, come here." He says softly and Hinata shakes her head.

"No. I think I should go. I don't want to fight you. I just need some time." She pleads with him.

"I don't want to fight with you. I just didn't want to lie with you. I'm not going to hurt you. I would never do that. You and our baby are my everything. You have to know that." He says and in a flash was behind her.

He wraps his arms around her and nuzzles her neck. Sasuke inhales her sweet scent and felt himself somewhat soothed. She might be scared of him, but she was still here. He could fix this.

"Sasuke, please." She whimpers.

"Kitten, don't be like this. If you really want to turn me, I'll let you do it. I meant it when I said that. But think about what you will be giving up if you do. Our child will grow up without a father. The other villagers will brand me a traitor again. Think about how the other children and villagers will treat our son or daughter. The kind of pain they'll feel every day." He whispers and holds her gently.

She shivers. Hinata had pondered that. Was it worth it? The Council was hardly a bunch of saints. Could she really justify putting her own son or daughter through that kind of pain, for nothing? What would it accomplish? It wouldn't bring them back.

"I don't want our baby to suffer like that." She mumbles.

"Neither do I. You'd also be giving me up. You've been happy with me. I know you have been. Don't I make you feel good kitten? You were moaning my name so sweetly just last night." He says and kisses her shoulder.

Hinata shivers. She couldn't deny that. She'd grown accustomed to his touch. The Hyuga Heiress craved it in such a wanton way, that sometimes she would feel embarrassed at how desperately she needed him.

It wasn't just the sex though. Sasuke was always so attentive to her. He listened to her. Never once had he underestimated her like most of the village had. He lavished her with praise and gifts. He made her laugh. He held her as they slept next to each other.

"I have been happy with you. Very happy. I c-an't deny what happened last night, but I didn't know what you did then. It's a different now." She says.

"Hinata, your Clan enslaves one half of itself. If you can overlook that, can't you overlook the fact that I killed to protect our family? If I had let them live, they might have ordered a second massacre. We could have ended up like my parents. Not only us, but they would have killed our son or daughter. I doubt they would leave a survivor the second time." Sasuke pleads with her.

She felt a silent, hot tear slide down her face. Hinata couldn't do it. She couldn't give him up. The young woman couldn't willingly force her child to be fatherless. To force him or her to be the child of a "traitor."

Hinata knew that it was wrong. She should turn him in. It was the right thing to do, but she couldn't. She couldn't give him up.

"Turning you in, won't bring them back. I know why you did it. It was wrong, Sasuke. Please don't do it again. Don't kill for me or our child unless it's self-defense. I can't live with that guilt. I don't want to turn you into a monster." She whispers and tries to choke back her tears.

"I won't do it again. Only self-defense. Shush. It's okay, kitten. You have nothing to feel guilty about. I did it. It was my choice. You didn't know. Don't upset yourself over scum like them. It's not good for you or our baby. Come to bed." He whispers into her ear and rocks her gently in his arms.

He was right. She didn't know what he had done, but she knew now. She was allowing herself to rocked by the arms of a killer.

Hinata knew that on some level, she was being hypocritical. Almost all ninjas were killers. It was the circumstances behind why that separated those just doing their missions from the real monsters though. She didn't know where to place Sasuke on that spectrum at the moment though.

"I love you, but don't make me do this again. Don't make me choose between being a good person and our family again." She whispers.

"I love you too and you are still a good person. Hinata, I'm the one that did it. Not you. Your hands are perfectly clean." He says and kisses her neck once more.

Were they though? She couldn't bring them back, but Sasuke had just proven that he was more than willing to take matters into his own hands. In a way, she had sanctioned his behavior.

Arguably, they had deserved it. They ordered a massacre. But they had done it to protect the village. Hinata couldn't believe that they had no other choice. What they had ordered all those years ago was evil. Surely, some sort of argument could have been worked out. It didn't have to end that way.

"I don't feel that way. I don't feel like my hands are clean. You murdered them because of me." She tells him.

"They look clean to me." He says and brings one to his lips, kissing it.

"That's not what I meant." She protests and Sasuke scoops her up.

He carries her back to the bed. Her lover gently lays her down and kisses her. Sasuke caresses the side of her cheek and sighs.

"I know, but none of this is your fault. No more secrets. I promise." He tells her.

"Good. I couldn't handle anymore. I don't want to believe you are the monster that some people make you out to be. I just wish you could be the kind and loving person that you are with me, to the rest of the world." She mumbles.

"The rest of the world will never measure up to you. You and our child deserve nothing but kindness. The rest of the world is not my concern." He informs her.

Hinata sighs. She cuddles into his arms. The bluenette knew that it was selfish, but she wished that she didn't know the truth. Well a part of her did anyway. Everything had been so perfect.

"Could you at least try?" She whispers.

"For you, I would do anything." He says and wraps the blankets around them.

 _"Even kill for you,"_ Hinata finished that thought in her mind. She didn't say that out loud. For now, she just allowed herself to cuddle into his arms.

She would never understand it. How could she feel so safe and cherished in the arms of someone who wouldn't hesitate to kill? It made no sense.

"Thank you. No more killing…unless it's self-defense." She insists.

"No more killing, unless it's in self-defense. I promise. Get some rest, kitten. It is really not good for you in your condition to be this upset. Want me to help you relax?" He whispers hotly in her ear and glides his hand over the curve of her hip.

Hinata shivers. She knew that despite everything, she'd melt right back into his arms. Sasuke was just that gifted. It would be so easy just to let him distract her from her moral dilemma. It'd be wrong though.

People were dead because of her. She should at least deny him sex. If she was being a good person, she would have already turned him in by now. At least this way, she had punished him in some small way.

"No. I think it'd be better if I just got some rest. Your way of relaxing me, doesn't involve much sleeping." She stammers.

"That's true. You're right. You should get some sleep." He says and kisses her forehead.

Hinata nods. She curls up closer in his arms and closes her eyes. The bluenette was a medic. She knew how to alter her breathing and such to give the illusion that she was actually asleep. She wasn't though.

Sasuke sighs. Damn the Council. They were dead, but still trying their best to destroy his Clan. Thankfully, Hinata hadn't turned him in. She was still laying in his arms, but it felt like she was a thousand miles away from him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset your mother." Sasuke whispers as he lays his hand protectively over her stomach and snuggles up against her.

If her eyes had been open, she would have blinked. Sasuke was talking to their baby. Logically, she knew that it was likely that Sasuke realized that their child couldn't actually hear them yet. But still.

It was a start. He had promised no more secrets. Sasuke had promised that he wouldn't do it again. Besides, he clearly loved their child. If nothing else, she knew that much. He hadn't lied to her before. She just hoped that he wouldn't start now.

That was the last thought on her mind, before she dozed off. She was just emotionally and physically exhausted. The bed and Sasuke's embrace were so comfortable. She never stood a chance of actually staying awake for long.

"I have to do something." Sasuke mutters later that evening when he woke from their slumber.

Hinata loved him. She had finally said it. Of course he had known it. Hinata would have sex with someone, if she didn't love them. She was an old fashioned romantic in that respect, but it was nice to hear her say the actual words.

It would have been even nicer, if she hadn't said them after she found out that he had murdered the Council. He really should have killed them slower. Now the memory of her telling him that she loved him for the first time, would forever be tarnished by them.

"Well she loves cinnamon rolls." He says as he sets about making them.

He knew that food wouldn't solve everything, but maybe the implicit message would. Cooking for her was an indirect way of telling Hinata that he would take care of her. She was perceptive enough to get the underlying message. Well at least that was his hope.

"Hey, Yuki." Sasuke greets the dog and pets her behind the ears.

Yuki's tail wags and she rolls over onto her back. Sasuke smiles and gives her the belly rub that she was seeking. Well at least one of the women in his life wasn't angry with him.

"Good girl. Come on. Maybe you can help me calm Hinata down." He says and gestures for the canine to follow him as he heads back up the stairs with the tray of cinnamon rolls.

Yuki had been staying at his home. Hiashi hadn't been thrilled about having a young, very energetic puppy digging up his rose gardens. Besides, Hinata was going to move in with him after the marriage. So Yuki might as well get used to her new home anyway. That had been the logic of him taking the dog.

"Sasuke?" Hinata calls out in a slightly panicked voice.

"It's alright. I'm coming. I wanted to surprise you." He says as he walks back into their room, carrying the tray and Yuki follows him.

She blinks. He made her something to eat. He didn't really think that was going to fix everything, did he? Oh wait. Those were cinnamon rolls. Maybe just one or two. She was hungry and she did have the baby to think about after all.

"Well you certainly did that." She says and Sasuke gets on the bed with her.

"Good. Yuki wanted to surprise you as well." He says and as if to prove his point, the puppy jumps on the bed and covers Hinata's entire face with licks.

Hinata giggles. Yuki really was one of a kind. She smiles and pets the puppy while grabbing one of the rolls.

"I see that." She says.

Sasuke nods. He had to get her mind off of what he did. His son or daughter was going to help him, do just that.

"Do you have a preference?" He asks softly and kisses her cheek affectionately.

"A preference for what?" Hinata ask in confusion.

"For whether you want it to be a boy or a girl." The last Uchiha elaborates and Hinata blinks.

Whatever she had been expecting him to ask, that wasn't it. She hadn't really thought about it. It was such a shock to find out she was pregnant, that she was still trying to process that.

"As long as it's healthy, I don't mind." She offers.

"That is such a cop out, kitten. Everyone says that. But everyone really leans one way or the other." He says.

Alright. Maybe it was a bit of a cop out, but she hadn't really given it much thought. Besides, she doubted it mattered. With as attentive as Sasuke was, she was positive that she'd end up with at least one son and one daughter soon enough.

Honestly, it had occurred to her that she was probably going to have to put her foot down. She understood that Clan Restoration was important to him, but she was not going for double digits! It didn't matter how… _persuasive_ he might be.

"Maybe a daughter. I will love him or her equally, no matter what. It's just that the men in your family tend to have really bad luck." She admits.

Sasuke frowns. He hadn't thought of it that way. Hinata did have a point though. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right about that.

"A son would be fun, but maybe you have a point." He says.

"I didn't mean that I don't want a son. I would love a son too. I just…" She trails off.

Sasuke shakes his head. No, he understood. He kisses her forehead. It didn't matter to him.

"You're right. Don't feel guilty about being honest. How are you feeling? No Morning Sickness?" He asks in concern.

"Sasuke, if I had Morning Sickness…I would have kicked you off of the bed by now and rushed to the bathroom." Hinata informs him.

Sasuke chuckles. Her pregnancy must be making her more direct. Hinata normally wouldn't have been that feisty in her answer.

"I'll take that as a no then. Good. I don't really care for seeing you miserably hunched over like that." He admits.

"Well I'm not that fond of it either!" Hinata replies.

"You know, if I could… I would do it for you. I love you, kitten." He says and kisses her.

Hinata returns the kiss. She knew that she shouldn't. He was a cold blooded killer. It was just hard to remember that when he kissed her so lovely and was so excited about his impending fatherhood. She could only hope that he would keep his promises.


	16. Chapter 16

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy the wedding chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I'm not certain what role, if any, the Waterfall Village played in the War. So I'm going to say that in this AU, they weren't involved.

Chapter 16

A few days later and their wedding day, had finally dawned. Hinata was getting ready with her bridesmaids. The Hyuga Heiress still wasn't entirely certain she was making the right choice.

She loved Sasuke, but she was going into this under no illusions. There were two sides to him. The affectionate lover and devoted father and the cold, calculating killer. By marrying him, she was telling him that she was willing to overlook the other side.

"It's natural to get cold feet." Kurenai says with a smile.

Cold feet? It was more like she was trapped inside a massive ice cube. She was freezing. Good thing that his Clan was associated with fire. Despite everything, she knew what would happen. The moment that she let him get away with his seduction attempts, she'd just melt right back into his arms.

God help her, she was in love with a killer. Hinata craved his touch. For the past week, she had found excuses to half-heartedly block his advances. Kisses and caresses she couldn't deny. Anything further than that though, she did summon up the will to deny him.

"I know. Thank you, Kurenai Sensei." Hinata says with a smile.

Sasuke was a genius. Even if he wasn't, he probably would have figured out what was going on. It was a miracle, he hadn't started to protest their lack of lovemaking.

"You look beautiful. Oh make sure to throw the bouquet at me. It'd be totally wasted on billboard brow over there." Ino tells her with a smirk.

"WHAT WAS THAT INO PIG?!" Sakura roars at her friend.

"You heard me. It'd be totally wasted on you!" The blonde ninja replies slyly and the two of them were soon locked in a childish battle.

"Some things never change." Tenten notes in amusement and the other women sigh in agreement.

Ino and Sakura were very loosely like Sasuke and Naruto. They fought like cats and dogs most of the time. In reality, they were best friends and cared deeply about each other.

Well at least her son or daughter was considerate. She hadn't had any Morning Sickness today. She really hoped it stayed that way. Hinata didn't want to ruin her beautiful wedding kimono.

Meanwhile with the men, Sasuke sighs. He tells himself for the thousandth time that he shouldn't just kill them all. Getting blood on his male wedding kimono would be unacceptable. Besides, he had promised not to kill unless it was in self-defense. He doubted that Hinata would accept protecting his eardrums as an example of self-defense.

"I still can't believe she agreed to marry you. I swear to God, if I find out you threatened her…" Kiba trails off with a growl.

"Shut up, mutt. I'm not going to have you ruin our wedding day. You are lucky that Hinata prefers your sorry ass to be alive." Sasuke practically snarls at the canine lover.

Hiashi sighs. He shakes his head. He wasn't going to let his daughter's teammate ruin her wedding. The Hyuga Patriarch still couldn't believe that Hinata was marring Sasuke, but he wouldn't allow anything to ruin her wedding day.

"Kiba, if you can not conduct yourself properly, kindly leave. You are disrespecting not only Sasuke, but also Hinata. She made her choice. You should honor it." The Clan Head states.

"I know. I know. I just can't believe she chose him!" He grumbles.

Naruto shakes his head. He drags Kiba outside the room. He didn't want Kiba to get hurt and he knew that Sasuke's self-control was hanging by the slimmest of threads.

He couldn't entirely blame Sasuke though. If someone had started saying that stuff to HIM at his wedding, he'd freak out too. It was only natural that the last Uchiha would be angry.

"So Sasuke where are you going on your Honeymoon?" Kakashi asks pleasantly.

"The Waterfall Village. They are still grateful for our help with the Hero's Water and it's beautiful. That and it's private. I think they are just flattered to have a Hyuga and an Uchiha in their midst. Their a small village. They aren't used to having members from two Noble Clans with them." He says.

Kakashi nods. Well that all sounded rather reasonable. Yes, it was a beautiful and quiet village. Sasuke probably just wanted privacy so that he could set about having a rather enjoyable Honeymoon and restoring his Clan.

No one knew about Hinata's pregnancy yet, other than Tsunade. Sasuke and Hinata had decided to keep it a secret until after the wedding. Hiashi probably wouldn't be pleased if he found out his daughter had potentially gotten pregnant out of wedlock.

A short while later, Sasuke heads out. Hinata and him were getting married in the gardens at the Hyuga Estate. Thankfully, spring was finally beginning to subdue winter. There was still a chill in the air, but the Sun was shining brightly and the first blooms of the season could be seen.

"I have to admit the Hyugas do have style." He mutters to himself as he walks to the alter.

Hundreds of white chairs with velvet red cushions had been placed throughout the gardens. There was even a red carpet laid out over the grass. The beautiful sculptures and fountains made it seem like something out of a fairytale. Sasuke had also never seen so much food in his life. (He had thought Christmas/Hinata's birthday had been a grand feast, but that was a snack compared to this.)

The alter was made out of pure gold and there were red roses weaved into it. Sasuke smiles at the preacher. He looked a bit terrified, but Sasuke gave him some credit. His knees weren't shaking. That was rare for a civilian.

"Are you sure you are ready for this bastard?" Naruto whispers to Sasuke.

Not surprisingly, Naruto was Sasuke's best man. Who else was he going to pick? Other than Hinata and Naruto, he didn't like anyone in this village. Well Hiashi and Hanabi weren't bad, but he couldn't choose them. Hanabi was a girl and Hiashi had to walk Hinata down the aisle. So he had chosen Naruto.

"Awe!" Came the chorus from the crowd as the flower girl made her procession down the aisle.

Mirai was the flower girl. She was Kurenai and Asuma's daughter. Poor guy, Sasuke thought to himself. He couldn't see how cute she looked. (Sasuke was not someone who said the word cute lightly, everyone else would have said adorable.)

The toddler joyously tosses the flowers everywhere. Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. Well if the flower girl was out and about, that meant that Hinata would be well on her way.

"She's beautiful." Sasuke hears someone call out and he looks.

Hinata was being escorted down the aisle by her father. The word beautiful didn't do her justice, but Sasuke was at a loss for words. So beautiful would have to do.

She was wearing a snow white wedding kimono that flattered her womanly figure perfectly. It had a baby blue sash and beautiful matching floral designs scattered along with it. Her hair was down and cascaded down the small of her back like a waterfall. Her lavender eyes were bright and her movements graceful. She was carrying a bouquet of white lilies in one of her arms. The other was linked with Hiashi.

"You had better take good care of her." Hiashi says once he finally gets her to the alter.

"I will." Sasuke promises and smiles as he holds Hinata's hands.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga. If there is anyone who has an objection to this match, speak now or forever hold your peace." The preacher begins.

He sincerely hoped that there wasn't anyone who was going to protest. Sasuke looked like the picture of happiness now, but the preacher knew what he was capable of. He tries to suppress a shiver at the knowledge.

The preacher pauses for a moment. He was relieved to hear no objections voiced. The man breathes a sigh of relief and continues.

"Do you Hinata Hyuga take Sasuke Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? To love, honor, and cherish? In sickness and in health? For richer or for poor? To forsake all others and spend the rest of your days together, until death do you part?" He inquires.

"I do." Hinata says.

There was no going back now. She was already pregnant with his child. She did love him. Well she loved who he was capable of being. The bluenette might be nervous about his sadistic side towards others, but she knew that he loved their family completely. That was why she said it.

"Do you Sasuke Uchiha take Hinata Hyuga be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold? To love, honor, and cherish? In sickness and in health? For richer or for poor? To forsake all others and spend the rest of your days together, until death do you part?" The preacher continues.

"I do." Sasuke replies.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Leaf Village and the Fire Nation, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." He says.

Sasuke didn't waste any time. He pulls Hinata into his arms and leans down, capturing her lips with his own. He loved her. The eldest Uchiha knew that things had been strained between them for the past few days, but he did want to remind her of that fact.

Hinata returns the kiss. She felt her face heating up. They were in public. That wasn't how you kissed your lover with others watching. That was how you kissed them before you made love. Sasuke apparently had no sense of modesty.

"Wow. Didn't know he had it in him." Naruto says in shock.

The bride was very much a blushing bride at the moment. She shyly breaks the kiss and tries to ignore the various catcalls. Sasuke smirks and caresses her cheek.

"Sasuke, you shouldn't kiss me like that in public." She mumbles.

"Hinata, we are married now. I think they know that we are lovers or at the very least they think we are about to be. A kiss is hardly scandalous between a husband and a wife." He whispers to her.

"No. It's not, but it was the way that you kissed me." She stammers and Sasuke shakes his head in amusement.

He holds her closely and nuzzles her neck. Honestly, how she could still be so shy after everything that they did with each other, was a mystery to him. Sasuke supposed it was just part of who she was.

"I kissed you no different than how I kiss you every time that I have before. Kitten, you should probably throw your bouquet. The women are looking…a bit desperate." He observes.

Hinata squeaks. She was suddenly surrounded by all the single women at the wedding. She felt a little overwhelmed. It was like a pack of hyenas or something.

"Alright. Um here goes!" She says and tosses the flowers into the crowd.

Sasuke blinks. It was a catfight of epic proportions. Women could be vicious creatures. He saw someone's shoe go flying. Another woman's earrings got ripped off. Holy fuck.

"I'm glad that you are such a gentle kitten." He mutters.

"They are rather…enthusiastic." Hinata whispers and Sasuke raises an eyebrow at that description.

That was putting it rather mildly. At the moment, Sasuke was positive that he would have preferred facing Madara over fighting them for those flowers. Damn. They were vicious.

Surprisingly, Tenten came out on top of that one. Sasuke blinks. He shrugs and claps along with Hinata. He never would have suspected the Weapons Mistress to defeat Sakura and Ino in that contest. Oh well.

"Hinata, sit down. I have to throw the garter belt. It's tradition." He states.

Hinata blushes. She sits down on the nearest chair. Sasuke makes a grand show of slowly sliding it off. His blushing bride's face was redder than his beloved tomatoes by the time he threw the belt. This time Shino caught it.

"Well that was unexpected. Congratulations, Shino!" The bluenette calls out happily.

"Thank you." Shino says as he glares at the lacey contraption.

Tenten drags him to the dance floor. It was somewhat of a tradition after all. Sasuke and Hinata just shake their heads in amusement. They head over to the cake.

Sasuke had never seen such a grand cake before. He was positive that it was at least twice his size in height and probably five times as thick as him. The Hyugas had though of everything. Half of the cake was chocolate with red frosting roses. The other half was vanilla with lavender ones.

"Hinata, I think you are going to have to sit on my shoulders, if we are ever going to cut that thing." He states.

"Oh no. You don't have to do that. I can get it." Tenten says as she hurls hundreds of kunais at the massive work of culinary art.

The new couple watch in awe as it was sliced into that many perfectly symmetrical pieces. Sasuke blinks. Well damn. She had good aim.

"I guess that's why she's call a Weapon's Mistress." He muses.

Hinata nods in agreement. It was really impressive what her friends could accomplish when they put their minds to it. Apparently, even cakes could not defeat them.

"Come on, kitten. It's customary for us to dance together." Sasuke says and offers her his arm.

Hinata takes it. The bride allows herself to be escorted to the dance floor. Hopefully, Sasuke would be on his best behavior. She wouldn't entirely put it past him to do something outrageous, just to shock their guests.

Sasuke smiles and wraps his hands around her waist as they begin to sway to the classical music. Hyugas did everything classically. Sasuke didn't mind though.

"Are you enjoying the festivities?" He whispers into her ear.

"It's very nice. Have you been playing nice with everyone?" She replies somewhat nervously.

"I've been a good boy today. I made a promise to you and I intend to keep it. Has our son or daughter been doing the same? No Morning Sickness?" He whispers so quietly, that Hinata almost didn't hear it.

She was relieved that he had the good sense not to ask that loudly enough that someone might hear him. She wasn't showing yet. It was too early in her pregnancy. Hinata didn't want her wedding to end with a brawl between her father and Sasuke. That would be a disaster.

Make no mistake about it, Hiashi Hyuga wouldn't have reacted well to the knowledge that she was pregnant. He had no way of knowing that Sasuke proposed to her before they found out. He'd probably think that her lover had trapped her into a marriage by getting her pregnant. That wasn't the case at all.

"No Morning Sickness today. Their very smart and considerate in that way." The bluenette whispers back.

"Good." Sasuke says with a smile and kisses her forehead.

Other couples and friends were now joining them on the dance floor. Naruto had asked Sakura to dance. He knew today had to be a hard day for her. Whatever her feelings were or weren't for Sasuke now, she had loved him for a long time. It couldn't be easy for her to see him marrying someone else.

"Are you okay? I mean are you okay with all of this?" He asks as he spins his friend and teammate around the dance floor.

"I don't know. Honestly, I don't think that this will end well. I've never actually seen them together before. The way he looks at her, makes me think that this might actually be real. Sasuke might actually be in love with her, in his own twisted way." The pink haired woman confesses.

Naruto sighs. Yeah. He had a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact that the bastard had fallen in love. It was an even bigger stretch to accept the fact that he had fallen in love with Hinata. But that's what had happened.

"He loves her. I know he's a bastard, but he really does. I hope that you can be happy for them. I think she's good for him. He hasn't gone postal once since returning to the village." The blonde points out.

"Naruto, he pulled a kunai on me." She reminds him.

Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Well yeah. Sasuke wouldn't be Sasuke if he didn't make at least one death threat a day.

"That was more him…playing than anything. You know how he is. He likes to act tough. He wouldn't have actually done it." The blue eyed ninja protests.

Sakura raises an eyebrow. Did Naruto actually think that? Did he really believe that Sasuke was just kidding around? No one did that. No one pulled a kunai on someone for _**LAUGHS!**_

"I know you don't actually believe that." She mutters and spins underneath him.

Hinata smiles. Sasuke had always been graceful. Dancing was no exception. She could almost forget what had happened a week ago. It'd be so easy to just burry the incident in the back of her mind and never revisit it.

"Have you ever been to the Waterfall Village before?" Sasuke asks as he twirls her underneath his arm.

"No. I haven't. How did you get them to agree to allow us to go there? They are so secretive, even by ninja village standards." She asks curiously.

"A long time ago, Team Seven did a mission for them. We helped them. I guess they remember. The Waterfall Village was one of the few places that wasn't touched by the War. They are so isolated, they might not even know that I used to be a Criminal Ninja. That or they just don't care. They are flattered by the attention." He replies.

Hinata nods. Well it was good to hear him talk about his time on Team Seven. Well really it was good to hear him talk about a time before they at met at all, if she was being honest. Sasuke seemed rather determined never to speak of the past.

The new Uchiha didn't think that this was very healthy. Sasuke should talk about his feelings. Bottling them up inside was how you got dead Councils.

"What's it like?" She asks.

"It's beautiful. So it suits you well. It's also quiet. Thank God." He muses.

Hinata giggles. Sasuke was a person who outside of the bedroom or battle, would rather just have the quiet. He certainly was nothing like his far more boisterous teammates. She supposed that was one of the things they had in common.

"That sounds very nice." She says and rests her head on his shoulder.

"It looks like the dinner is starting. They'll probably want to make toasts and the like. Are you feeling well enough to eat any of that cake?" He asks as he leads her to one of the many tables.

She nods that she was. Cake sounded really good actually. Thank goodness their baby was on his or her best behavior. It would have been rather awkward to explain why she had just vomited at her own wedding.

Everyone was heading to the tables. They all looked rather excited at the prospect of a fine meal. Hinata smiles as she sits down next to her husband.

"ATTENTION!" Hiashi bellows as he taps his glass.

Husband. That was such a strange word. It felt so foreign on the tip of her tongue, but there was no denying that they were married. They were no longer just lovers, but bound together for life. This would take some getting used to.

"I would like to propose a toast. I will admit that I had my doubts about this match, but it does indeed appear to be a happy one. To Hinata and Sasuke." He says and raises his glass.

Everyone politely does the same. Well everyone except Naruto. Sasuke sighs. He just knew that Naruto was going to do something stupid. It was just his nature.

"I wanna propose a toast to! To the bastard and Hinata! Hinata, I don't know how you pulled that giant stick that has been shoved up his ass since we were twelve, but congrats! Hopefully the kids take after you though. The world isn't ready for an army of mini Sasukes!" He says cheerfully.

Some people laughed. Others looked a bit terrified at the possibility of an army of mini Sasukes. Sasuke twitches and gives Naruto a dirty look.

He walks over and promptly smacks him upside the head. Hinata said he couldn't kill unless it was self-defense. She never said that he couldn't smack Naruto around. Besides, even she would have to agree that the blonde had that one coming!

"Um thank you, Naruto." Hinata mumbles and sips some water.

"Don't you want any champagne, Hinata?" Sakura asks and the bluenette shakes her had.

"No. It's a very long journey to the Waterfall Village and I would rather not have hangover when we arrive." She says sweetly.

Sakura nods. She subtly frowns. The pink haired woman highly doubted a glass of champagne was enough to make Hinata get a hangover. There could only be one logical reason why she wouldn't drink at her own wedding.

 _She was pregnant!_ That's why she wasn't drinking. Hinata was worried about hurting the baby. That explained the short courtship.

"That makes sense." She mumbles.

It was hard to process the fact that Sasuke was going to be a father. Hinata was going to be the mother of his child. She tries to process that and just couldn't do it. Her younger self would have laughed in her face if someone had told her that. It just seemed so impossible.

Sasuke wouldn't even smile at her while they were on the same team. Now in less than a year he had already married Hinata and gotten her pregnant? It just didn't feel very Sasuke like.

A few hours later, the wedding was finally over. Sasuke summons Garuda. Hinata blinks and looks at the large hawk in confusion.

"It's faster just to ride on his back." Her husband explains.

"Won't that upset him? That can't be comfortable." His wife frets and Sasuke shakes his head.

Garuda was more than capable of handling both of them. Besides, he was a Summon. The hawk expected to be asked for his help. He'd probably be insulted if he wasn't included in the wedding in some small way.

"He won't mind. I've flown on him lots of times before. Don't be afraid." He says and offers Hinata his hand as they get on top of the massive bird.

"Alright." Hinata says and wraps her arms around his waist tightly.

She wasn't afraid of heights exactly. Still the new Uchiha wasn't particularly fond of the idea of falling from a great height. That was why she clung so tightly to him.

"Garuda, take us to the entrance of the Waterfall Village and don't stop until we get there." He orders and the hawk takes off.

Hinata couldn't believe it. She was riding on a massive bird's back and on her way to their Honeymoon. Life could be strange sometimes. A year ago, she never would have dreamed that she would be married with her first child on the way. Married to Sasuke Uchiha of all people.

"We should be there by nightfall." Sasuke tells her as they soar through the air towards the reclusive village and their Honeymoon.


	17. Chapter 17

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you like this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This is the Honeymoon chapter. It's probably going to be mostly lemon/fluff. The drama will start back up in the next chapter. If you aren't interested in lemons, you might want to skip it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Warning:** A semi clone lemon. That means there will be TWO Sasuke's. You have been warned.

Chapter 17

They later arrive in the Waterfall Village. Sasuke checks them into a rather cozy looking inn. Hinata looks around curiously. He was right. It was a beautiful village. Very peaceful.

"I got the key." Sasuke says as he scoops Hinata up Bridal Style and carries her off.

Hinata couldn't help but giggle at this old fashioned gesture. She never would have expected him to be the type of man to carry her over the threshold. Sasuke might not show this much to the outside world, but in some ways he was very much a traditional romantic.

"You got the key and me." She notes with a laugh.

"Yes, it's a very good day when you put it that way." He says and carries her inside their room.

It was a nice room. A queen sized bed with white silk blankets, sheets, and pillows. The walls were baby blue and the carpet was styled to look like grass. She could see a connected bathroom, a small kitchen, and even a living room. It was more like a mini apartment than anything else really.

She smiles when she sees a rather regal looking grandfather clock, the red plush couch, coffee table, wardrobe, vanity, and nightstand. Whoever designed this room had good taste.

"This is very nice." She says with a smile as Sasuke gently sets her down.

"It suits you then. Do you want some help getting out of that kimono? It's beautiful, but it can't be comfortable." He asks.

Hinata saw that for what it was. It was clearly an attempt to get her naked as soon as possible. Sasuke was smart enough to cloak it in a gentlemanly gesture though.

It was their Honeymoon. Naturally, he was going to expect them to be together. She had been avoiding real intimacy with him for the past week after finding out what he did to the Council. Sasuke had been "nice" enough to accept whatever flimsy excuse she made that day, but tonight was different.

"It's not that bad." She mumbles with a blush.

"You have always been a horrible liar. You don't have to look so startled." He says as he reaches for her sash.

"I'm not startled." Hinata protests and Sasuke gives her an incredulous look as if he really couldn't believe she was actually going to try this.

She wasn't startled. Ha. Did he look like he was born yesterday? Sasuke knew exactly what she had been doing for the past week. Knowing Hinata, she probably thought that in some small way she was playing the martyr or punishing him for his "wicked sins."

Sasuke didn't regret killing them in the slightest. He would do it again and again, if it meant protecting their family. The only thing he regretted was the amount of guilt that it had obviously caused Hinata.

Before she found out the truth, they had made love almost every day. Usually more than once. After that, he was lucky to steal more than a few kisses.

"If you want me to stop, all you have to do is ask. I will. I want to make love to my wife. Haven't you punished us both enough?" He murmurs into her ear and wraps one arm around her waist as the other unties her sash.

"I know you'll stop, if I ask you to." She whispers and leans back into his hold.

She was weak and she knew it. Sasuke was using THAT voice. The bluenette knew that she should probably come up with an actual name for it. She tentatively settles on the Bedroom Voice for now. (Though it was used in many, many other places besides the bedroom.)

"Do you want me to stop? Because I want to remind you of how GOOD we are together. You don't have to deny yourself anything out of some sense of repentance or martyrdom. You don't have to deny us. I know what I did was wrong, but I did it because I wanted to protect you and our baby. Is that really so bad?" He inquires as he places gentle kisses along her shoulder and slides off her kimono.

Hinata sighs softly in contentment. Her mind knew that she had just married a vicious killer. The very least she could do was punish him through by denying something that he clearly wanted, but she was also punishing herself.

She missed him. Hinata missed their intimacy. Idly, she muses that she had grown spoiled before their marriage. The bride had gotten used to his touch. It was an addiction really.

"I don't want you to stop. That should disturb me. I know why you did it, but you still killed them without being attacked this time. You were going to keep it a secret from me. I should be angry with you. I have done the right thing and turned you in. But I can't…" She says in a quiet whisper.

"I didn't want to tell you because I knew that you would feel guilty. It's not your fault. Let me make you forget them." Sasuke tells her and Hinata could hear the sound of his wedding kimono falling to the ground.

"Alright." She says and blinks when suddenly Sasuke was standing in front of her.

That made no sense. He was standing right behind her. Hinata could feel the warmth of his breath against her neck. How was this possible?

"It's a clone, kitten." The original Sasuke whispers to her.

A clone. Oh well that made sense. Wait. Why had he made a clone? What was he up to here?

"Why did you summon a clone?" She asks somewhat nervously.

"You ignored me for a week. You wouldn't let me satisfy you. So I'm making up for lost time. I want you to be a good kitten and relax. Let me show you how much I love you." Sasuke answers her.

 **Warning Lemon**

Hinata swallows hard. One Sasuke was hard enough to resist, but TWO? That was impossible. She wondered if clones were actually capable of sex or if this was just for show.

The clone was still fully dressed. Which made her feel more vulnerable when he tugs down her bra past her breasts and shoves the lacy fabric of her panties down to her knees. Somehow, that was more erotic than if he had just stripped her.

 **"You're beautiful. Did you know that you are the only woman that I've ever wanted. The others weren't even worth a second glance."** The clone says as he lightly caresses her now bare breasts.

Hinata shivers. The gentle touches felt good. The way he said that was just so reverent. It was hard to focus on anything else but the sound of his voice and the feeling of his fingertips against her skin.

"Really?" Hinata asks and moans when she felt the other Sasuke rub her womanhood.

"Mhm. I should have noticed you before. It was at the hospital that I really saw you for the first time. You were such a brave kitten." He says and toys with her clit.

Hinata moans and bucks against his hand. No matter what he did, her body couldn't help but respond. Sasuke knew exactly how to touch her to gain complete submission and ecstasy from her. It was like she was his violin and he was the master musician. Every touch was precise and full of sensual grace.

" **Your hair was like a waterfall and eyes were so kind. Though I have to admit, it was your figure that got my attention more than the Byakugan. Have I told you how much I adore your breasts?"** He asks slyly.

The clone decides to prove his point. He licks her nipples and then tugs on them lightly with his teeth. He wastes no time in wrapping his hot, wet mouth around one and fondling the other breast.

Hinata squirms. She felt a jolt of white hot lust swim through her veins. Why did that always feel so good?

"You n-ever said it directly, but I could tell." She admits and reaches behind herself to grasp Sasuke in her hand.

She felt him thrust into her grip and heard him grown. There was still something incredibly satisfying about knowing that she was the one who could make him respond that way. Hinata believed him when he said that he hadn't looked at another woman before.

Sasuke groans. Fuck that felt amazing. He almost came from the touch of her hand alone. He was far too attention starved, if just that gesture was enough to get him this worked up.

"Good. A daughter might be better. A son will be very disappointed, if he finds out that not every woman has breasts as glorious as yours." He continues raining down kisses upon her back and shoulders as he finishes stripping her.

Hinata giggles at that announcement. Her giggles turned to moans though when he rubbed her clit more and the clone began placing love bites along her stomach. He was slowly drifting lower and lower.

"Mmm it's not really fair if you are the one doing most of the touching." Hinata pants out.

 **"I don't mind it. I like watching you moan for us, but tell us what you want."** The clone purrs at her seductively.

The young bride could feel her face heat up. Despite everything that they had done, she had never really said anything naughty to him. Sasuke just instinctively knew what she wanted. Hinata had never had to ask.

"You're blushing. Such an innocent, sweet kitten." Sasuke muses as he kisses her cheek and squeezes her ass.

"I want to make you feel good." She whispers.

Both Sasuke's look at each other in amusement. Hinata was the very definition of a blushing bride. Was it possible for her to be anymore vague?

" **How would you like to do that?"** He inquires "helpfully."

"By taking you into my mouth." She replies and was grateful that she didn't stammer.

The two Sasuke's blink. Well they certainly weren't going to argue with that. What man would?

"Which one?" Sasuke asks wickedly.

"The real you." His wife answers and Sasuke smiles.

The two Sasuke's maneuver to give Hinata more room to move. Sasuke gestures for her to go and lay on the bed. He has her lay across it in a horizontal position. The original Sasuke quickly walks over and stands in front of the bed.

This way his erection was by her mouth and she didn't have to get on her knees. He knew that he was probably being overprotective, but he really didn't want his pregnant wife to be sitting on her knees or on her hands and knees while she was pregnant.

Hinata blushes and shyly takes the tip into her mouth. She lavishes it with her tongue and sucks lightly. Sasuke moans and runs is fingers through her hair.

 **"You have no idea how fucking good that feels."** He growls at her lustfully and gets behind her, pushing her up slightly and parting her legs just enough to lick her.

"Nhh!" Hinata moans around his cock in pleasure and takes more of him into her mouth.

Sasuke pants. God that felt incredibly. It was a struggle not to just cum right then and there. Where did his innocent lover ever learn how to do that with her mouth? Maybe it was instinct.

He fought back the impulse to just fuck her pretty little throat raw. Sasuke didn't want to make her skittish about the act. Doing that was one surefire way to make her so.

"You're amazing." Sasuke says as he bucks lightly against her talented mouth.

Hinata smiles at the praise. She sucks harder. Sasuke had a salty taste to him. She didn't mind it and it was obvious that he really enjoyed being attended to in this way.

She moans and arches back against the clone wantonly. The young woman knew that she adored it when he used his mouth on her. So it was only logical that the reverse would be true.

The bluenette could feel herself grow soaked with her desire for him. The clone licks, kisses, sucks, and even occasionally nips at her womanhood. It was driving her insane. She was so close!

 **"You taste so sweet."** He praises her and licks her in a way that reminded Hinata of a cat lapping at cream.

"Stop kitten." Sasuke tells her and gently pulls out of her mouth.

Hinata looks at him in confusion. Why did he want her to stop? He was clearly enjoying it.

"I missed you. I want to be inside you when we both cum this time." Sasuke explains.

The clone stops licking her long enough to scoop her up into his arms and off of the bed. The original Sasuke lays on the bed and then the clone gently lays Hinata on top of him. He gets behind her.

She felt herself blushing. Sasuke clearly wanted her to top this time around. The bride couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious at this. She was used to Sasuke taking the lead in their lovemaking. (And frankly she was more than happy to keep it that way.)

"Just do what feels good." Sasuke assures her as he pulls her down for a kiss.

Hinata returns the kiss and felt herself moan into it. The clone was caressing her entire body. It felt too good to be shy for long.

She slowly slides herself onto Sasuke's arousal. Fuck! She arches her back in pleasure. It felt so good to be connected to him in this way again. She felt so full and they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.

 **"That's better. Isn't this better than avoiding me?"** He purrs seductively in her ear as the other Sasuke begins burying himself inside his lover and again and again.

Hinata was going to respond to that, but she found she couldn't. She was soon overloaded by too many sensations to be coherent. Sasuke might have been underneath her, but he was setting the pace.

"Oh God!" She moans and Sasuke leans up just enough to kiss her possessively as continues thrusting into his new wife.

He would never get tired of this. He was completely addicted to the feeling of being inside her. She was so hot, wet, and tight. It was like she had been made just for him.

He wasn't going to allow her to shy away from him again. Sasuke was going to remind her who she belonged to. That cut both ways.

It was mildly disturbing to realize how much control she had over him and she didn't even know it. He just hoped that she never really realized how much he needed her to function anymore. But one thing was for damn sure, he wasn't going to let the dead council deny him this bliss.

 **"Good kitten. Ride me. You feel so good."** He says and lightly bites on her neck.

Hinata moans. Every thrust made her want to scream in pleasure. It was so intense. She could feel the other's Sasuke's teeth around her neck and her husband so deep inside her. Hinata felt like she was about to explode from the delightfully overwhelming sensual sensations.

Hinata did exactly that. She marveled at the gorgeous sight of her husband underneath her. His gaze was ruby red and full of desire. The way that his ivory skin contrasted against his midnight locks was almost ethereal. She almost couldn't believe that he was her lover. He had noticed her over everyone else.

"Sasuke!" She screams out his name as he thrusts powerfully into her sends her spiraling over the edge.

Her lover soon joins her. The clone disappears with a loud pop, just as she felt Sasuke spilling his seed inside her again.

Sasuke pulls out of his wife. He then turns towards the side and brings Hinata down with him. The raven haired ninja then wraps his arms around her protectively and snuggles closely to her.

 **End Lemon**

"Mine." Sasuke whispers possessively as he kisses her forehead.

Hinata shivers. Both in excitement and a little fear. Oh it wasn't fear for herself. It was fear of what he would do if he ever lost her. She could easily see him destroying a village in a fit of rage or grief.

"Always. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you away like that." Hinata replies.

"I shouldn't have kept that secret from you. You're my wife now. No more secrets. I love you. You know that, right?" He asks as he glides his hand over her stomach.

"I know that. I love you too." She says with a smile.

Honestly, the possibility was frightening. But at the moment her body felt so completely satisfied and he was just being so devoted, that it was hard to worry. Maybe it was a one time thing.

Clearly, Sasuke did love her. He loved their baby. Maybe that would be enough. Maybe eventually he would learn to love others even a tenth as much as he loved them. It was a start.

"It makes me very happy to hear you say that. You should get some rest, my love." He says and brushes the bangs out of her eyes.

"I'm glad it does." She says and nods her head.

Hinata snuggles closer into his arms and closes her eyes. If nothing else, she knew that nothing bad would happen to her or her child while Sasuke was around. He was a one man army all unto himself.

Their Honeymoon passed in a blur of desperate moans and tangled limbs. By the end of it, Hinata was certain there wasn't a single spot in that place that they hadn't made love on. Sasuke could be rather creative, when he wanted to be. Then she realized he had missed a spot.

"You missed a spot." She notes with a giggle.

"Mmm what do you mean?" He asks as he helps her pack for their return journey back to the Leaf Village.

"We didn't make love on the carpet. I think you took me everywhere else." She says.

Sasuke smirks. He had considered it, but she was pregnant. Certain considerations had to be made. Her belly was still as flat as ever, but occasionally… he thought he felt another chakra signature. Maybe he was just imagining it though.

"I didn't think that would be comfortable for you while you were pregnant. The thought did cross my mind though." He admits with a shrug.

Hinata blushes. She had been kidding. For someone who strove to keep others out, he was very…attentive when he wanted to be.

"I see. Well we should probably head home. I don't want my family to worry about me." She says and Sasuke nods.

He leaves with Hinata and summons Garuda again. This time, Hinata was a little less hesitant about climbing on the massive hawk's back. Sasuke smiles and wraps her arms around her protectively.

"Our son or daughter is very well behaved. You didn't really have much Morning Sickness while we were on our Honeymoon." He observes.

"WAIT. Garuda don't fly yet." Hinata says as she wiggles out of Sasuke's arms and onto the ground.

"Hinata?" Sasuke asks in confusion.

Sasuke had apparently spoken too soon. Hinata was now hunched over an emptying the contents of her breakfast that morning. Damn. He had jinxed her.

"Sorry, kitten. Are you okay?" He inquires in concern.

"I think so." She mumbles as she pulls out her ninja pouch and takes out a bottle of water she had inside it.

Hinata takes a quick drink and then joins Sasuke back on the giant bird. She smiles when she felt Sasuke fuss over her. She snuggles into his hold and they take off.

By nightfall, they arrive in the village. Sasuke carries her into their home and sets her on the bed. Her lover covers her the blankets. Then he kisses her forehead.

"I'll go get us something to eat." He says and heads down the stairs towards the kitchen.

Hinata nods. She blinks when she saw a note by her bed. Quickly, she reads it and her eyes widen when she does.

 **Hinata,**

 **We need to talk. I know what is going on. I know the real reason why you weren't drinking champagne at your wedding.**

 **Sakura.**

"Back. I found us some chocolate strawberries. You like those, right?" Sasuke asks.

He blinks when he saw the terrified look on his face. What possibly could have startled her in the five minutes he was gone? He quickly rushes over to her.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" He demands.

"Sakura knows." She mumbles and reaches for one of the strawberries.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Well that was a little vague. What did Sakura know that was spooking his wife so much?

"Hinata, I'm not a mind reader. What does she know and why do you look so scared?" The dark haired ninja inquires.

"She knows I'm pregnant. She saw that I wasn't drinking at the wedding. She must have put two and two together somehow." The bluenette answers him.

Sasuke wasn't particularly happy about that. Still he didn't see a reason to be alarmed. They were married now. People surely had to expect them to be trying for children.

"Why does that scare you so much? Hinata, you're my wife. We are allowed and even expected to have children." He reasons.

"She might have told everyone before we got back. I don't think she did. Otherwise why leave a note, but still. I don't think my father is going to react well, if she told him." She frets.

Sasuke sighs. He holds his wife closely. Then he kisses her cheek reassuringly.

"We are married. Even if your father thinks that I got you pregnant before marriage, we did the "honorable" thing. He can't be angry. Don't worry about anything, kitten. We'll sort this out. I promise." He tells her.

Hinata nods. Maybe Sasuke was right. Maybe she was just overreacting. Then again this was the Leaf Village. And if there was one thing she knew about this village, it was that no one could resist a good rumor. The former Hyuga Heiress getting pregnant by Sasuke Uchiha, well that was sure to set the rumor mills on fire!


	18. Chapter 18

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that everyone enjoys this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Tsunade also gets far more than she bargained for in this chapter. Warnings are in place. Skip if you don't want to see her accidentally get an eyeful.

 **Chapter Warning:** There is also a plot twist in this one. People are either going to love it or hate it. I wanted to add some drama to the story. If the idea is completely reviled, I will go back and redo the ending of this chapter and take out that plot twist.

Chapter 18

"Do you want me to go with you, when you talk to her?" Sasuke asks Hinata gently.

"I don't think that's a good idea. You have a bad temper and you're very overprotective. Sakura is my friend. She wouldn't actually do something to hurt me. She's likely just worried about me." Hinata says.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He did not have a bad temper. It wasn't his fault that the world was intent on doing everything it could to enrage him. He didn't have a bad temper around her. It was more the product of his environment really. That and he wasn't entirely certain he bought that about Sakura.

"Your friend tried to talk you out of a relationship with me. Forgive me, if I'm not that eager to give her another chance to do so." He mutters.

"Sasuke, she was at our wedding. I think she's moved on from that. Besides, it's a little too late for that. We are already married. I said for better or for worse. I meant it. I'll be back soon." His wife reassures him and kisses his cheek.

The raven haired ninja looks at his wife skeptically. He still didn't think this was a good idea. He would much rather go with her, but Hinata was right. Sakura would probably intentionally or unintentionally provoke him, if he went.

"I'll see you when you get back. If she upsets you, I'm going to consider it self-defense." He warns her.

"Sasuke, you can't just jump to violence as the solution to everything." His lover scolds him.

"I do not always jump to violence as the solution to everything." He protests.

Hinata gives him a look. It was a look of disbelief. The lavender eyed woman clearly couldn't believe he was actually going to try this.

"Oh really?" The bluenette asks skeptically.

"That's right. That's my solution when it comes to the rest of the world. When it comes to you, sex is my solution. It's a much more enjoyable one." He says with a smirk.

Hinata blushes. She lightly swats him for that one and heads off. Sasuke chuckles as he hears his wife mutter some rather unflattering things under her breath. He definitely heard the word perverted muttered more than once.

He knew that it shouldn't amuse him as much as it did. Still he couldn't help it. It was fun to rile up his kitten.

"I can't believe him." She grumbles as she heads to the hospital.

It didn't take long for Hinata to find Sakura. She takes a deep breath and braces herself. The new Mrs. Uchiha knew that this wasn't going to be pretty by any stretch of the imagination.

"Sakura, I got your message. Can we go somewhere private and talk about this?" She asks.

"Alright. Follow me." Sakura says and she heads to the bottom floor.

This was the same floor where Hinata had treated Sasuke. It looked like it wasn't being used now that he had been released. A flood of memories hit her all at once, just at the mere sight of it.

 _"They sent a kitten into the lion's den?" She recalled him asking._

 _She remembered being alarmed at how easily he had snuck up on her. The way that he had encircled her reminded the young woman of a shark encircling its prey. It was only thanks to her ninja training that she hadn't panicked visibly._

 _"I'm not a kitten and they didn't send me here. I volunteered. Good morning, Sasuke. How are you feeling?" Hinata asked and turned around to face him._

 _"Confused." Sasuke had answered her as he continued circling the shy medic._

 _"The medication can be a little disorientating, especially at the high dosage that you were given. That will go away." Hinata assured him._

 _"I'm not confused because of side effects. I'm confused about why you volunteered to come here." Sasuke said._

Hinata still asked herself that sometimes. Perhaps she had just instinctively known to seek him out. Certainly, it had been her own decision. That was definitely one time that Sasuke hadn't manipulated her.

She wasn't an idiot. Sasuke was smart. He had become her friend before he seduced her. The bluenette was pretty sure that he had decided early on that he wanted her, so he had conjured up a rather elaborate plan to win her over. Hinata just hadn't realized it, until she was already in love with him.

"Hinata, I know that you're pregnant. Did Sasuke trap you into a marriage on purpose?" Sakura inquires gently.

The only female Uchiha frowns. It might have been marriage, but it still counted. She had taken his last name because it had seemed only fair. After all, there were hundreds of Hyugas. Sasuke was the last Uchiha. It would have been a slap in the face not to take his last name. She was still getting used to it though.

Yes, Sasuke was manipulative. His mind was twisted. That wasn't his fault though. Who really knew what he had been through while he was away from the Leaf.?

As calculating as he was, she did know that he loved her. Sasuke loved her and their child. He loved them enough to kill for them, but he hadn't trapped her into a marriage.

"Yes, I'm pregnant. He did not trap me into a marriage by knocking me up! Sasuke proposed to me before we even knew that I was pregnant and how dare you accuse him of such a thing?! He's no angel, but he's not evil." Hinata snaps at her.

She felt fury racing through her veins. Her more rational mind knew that in Sakura's mind, she was only trying to help her. The medic probably thought she was staging an intervention and saving her in some way. Hinata's rational mind though, was currently being beaten back by her gut reaction.

Her gut reaction didn't like having the father of her child be accused of such wickedness. It didn't like the fact that Sakura apparently viewed her as being completely naïve and easily taken advantage of. Idly, she knew that it was ironic. She had told Sasuke not to come because he would lose his temper and here she was, doing exactly what she had worried he would.

"Hinata, I'm just worried about you. Alright he proposed to you before you knew that you were expecting, but as it after you had sex? Did he know there was a possibility?" She asks.

"Sakura, just tell me whether or not you told anyone else that I was pregnant. That's all I want to know." Hinata says through gritted teeth.

"Hinata, I would never do that! I'm a medic! I respect patient confidentiality. I just wanted to make sure that you married him because you wanted to and not because you felt like you had to." The pink haired woman exclaims.

The lavender eyed woman mentally counts to ten. She knew that she had to cool her temper. In her own way, Sakura was trying to look out for her. She was wrong, but her intentions were good.

"I'm glad that you didn't tell anyone because if you had, we couldn't be friends anymore. It's our decision when we will tell everyone that I'm pregnant. It was my decision to marry him. He didn't trick me into it. I'm going to go now." She says and storms off.

Sakura sighs. That could have gone better to put it mildly. She had only been trying to help.

"It looks like I might have drove her right back into his arms. Maybe Sasuke didn't actually trick her." She mutters to herself.

Sasuke had been looking at the other woman rather adoringly at the wedding. Maybe he really did love her. But it was possible for him to love Hinata and still manipulate her. Look what happened with Itachi and Sasuke. That was still very much a possibility.

"Sakura, what are you doing down here and why are you talking to yourself?" Tsunade asks.

"It's a long story." The medic mumbles in embarrassment.

"I have nothing but time. It's my lunch break. Sakura, I know something is troubling you. You should tell me what it is." Tsunade says.

The pink haired woman shakes her head. No. She couldn't do that. It would be violating Hinata's medical privacy. That and she couldn't find a way to explain herself. She couldn't even articulate exactly what she was feeling. A strange combination of concern and if she was being completely honest with herself, jealousy.

"Alright. You can tell me on your own time. Right now, I need you to care for a patient with a broken leg. A kid was climbing a tree and fell. Genin was trying to capture a lost cat that climbed up there." The busty blonde explains.

"Oh sure." Sakura says and she heads off to treat the poor kid.

It was good to have something to take her mind off of the strange situation that she found herself in. Hinata was married to Sasuke and carrying his child. Apparently this was all of her own free will. This was going to take some getting used to.

Meanwhile Sasuke was waiting for Hinata to come back. He was surprised when Hiashi walked into the district. He sensed his father-in-law's chakra almost immediately. It was rather distinctive.

"Hiashi, what brings you here?" Sasuek asks.

"I assumed that you and Hinata would be returning today. I wanted to greet my daughter and ensure that everything was going well." He says.

Sasuke nods. If he was in the Hyuga Patriarch's position, he would have done the same thing. It was strange. He supposed in a way they were alike now. They were both fathers.

The main difference was that his son or daughter hadn't been born yet. Though he knew that his reaction would have been similar to Hiashi . He definitely would have snooped. Sasuke didn't doubt that for a moment.

"Things are going well. Hinata just wanted to let some of our friends know that we were back and I wanted to prepare lunch." Sasuke says.

It wasn't a complete lie. Hinata did consider Sakura her friend. His wife was informing the medic that they were back. He probably should prepare lunch. He just didn't want to tell Hiashi that his first grandchild was on the way, without Hinata there.

"Judging by the panicked look upon your face, I assume she is already pregnant. You certainly do not waste time." He states and Sasuke gapes at him.

"…" Sasuke is speechless.

"I will not tell her that you told me because you did not. I'm not a fool, Sasuke. I know full well what happens on Honeymoons and that it's likely you were lovers before your marriage. I don't think that I need to warn you again that if you hurt my daughter OR my grandchild, you will wish you were never born. Do I? I certainly hope not. You received high marks at the Academy. I know that you are not stupid." He continues.

Sasuke didn't know how to react to this. Hiashi knew that Hinata was pregnant and was seemingly okay with it. Well as okay with it as the other man was likely to get.

"Good. She'd likely be angry with me, if she thought I told you without asking her first." He mutters.

"Oh yes, yes she would. It'd likely mean a Gentle Fist to your…lower region. Trust me when I say you that despite the name, it is anything but gentle." The Hyuga Patriarch warns him.

Sasuke winces. He imagines that scene. Yes, a Gentle Fist to his manhood did not sound appealing. Nope, not in the slightest.

"Yes, I'm well aware of what she is capable of as a ninja. That was just one of the many reasons why I love her." He says.

"I should hope you love her. If I find out that you married her and you do not, it will not end well for you. When do you expect her to return?" Hiashi asks.

Sasuke frowns. He really had no idea. She might be back in a few minutes or several hours. Really it was almost impossible to tell.

"I'm not sure. You know how women can be when they are with their friends. This might take awhile. Come inside. I'll get us a drink." He offers and his father-in-law follows him inside his home.

Hiashi looks around curiously. It was strange. Sasuke's home seemed so normal. He wasn't certain what he was expecting, but this certainly wasn't it.

"You do keep a tidy home." He admits.

"Thank you. Oh don't mind Yuki. She's still just a puppy and rather playful." Sasuke says and heads into the kitchen.

Yuki comes barreling out and jumps on Hiashi. The Hyuga Patriarch just shakes his head in amusement and pat pats the dog. She was much more tolerable when she wasn't digging up his rose gardens!

Hinata arrives home to the strange sight of Yuki sitting in her father's lap and the two men in her life sipping sake? She had never really known her father to drink. Sometimes he would for special occasions or if he was really distressed though. Oh God, Sasuke didn't tell him that she was pregnant, did he?!

"Hinata, it's good to see you. Did you enjoy your time with your friends?" Her father asks.

"It was enlightening." Hinata replies.

She wasn't going to lie to her father. Still she couldn't exactly tell him the full story. In some ways, Hiashi Hyuga might actually be more overprotective than Sasuke. (And that was certainly saying something.)

"That's good." Hiashi says.

"Father, there's something that we should probably tell you." Hinata stammers out.

"Hinata, I know. Sasuke didn't tell me. I am not completely naïve. I know what occurs on Honeymoons. I would be more surprised if you weren't pregnant. Your husband has always made it rather clear that he has a strong desire for children. What's important is that you are healthy and happy about this news." He states.

Hinata blinks. Her father knew. Sasuke hadn't told him? Hiashi had never lied to her. He was brutally blunt sometimes. If nothing else, her very was a very honest man. If he said that Sasuke hadn't told him, then he hadn't.

"Oh. I am happy about it. I just wasn't sure how to tell you." She admits.

"I imagine that I would have figured it out eventually. One can only hide a pregnancy for so long. I will speak to Tsunade about this. You will need the best medical care possible. Twins do run in our family and if she is carrying twins that would be higher risk. Twins or not though, I do expect you to receive the best medical care possible and that is certainly Tsunade." He finishes.

The bluenette nods dumbly. She couldn't believe that he was taking this so well. She had expected Hiashi to be more…upset.

"Yes, of course. Tsunade is the one who confirmed my pregnancy actually. I'm sure that she wouldn't mind, helping." Hinata says.

"Good. Now, you should get some rest. Tell me, when do you plan to go on maternity leave?" He asks.

"Oh I'm already on maternity leave. It was too risky for me to keep working while pregnant. Sasuke probably would have killed someone for looking at me the wrong way." She says with a giggle.

Hiashi wasn't entirely certain whether to find that amusing or disturbing. He doubted that his daughter truly realized that might not be a joke. Either way, it was good that she had decided to take the leave.

"Good. You should be resting. I shall take my leave now. I'm glad that your marriage appears to be a happy one." He says and kisses his daughter's cheek before heading off.

Hinata lets out a sigh of relief. That could have easily gone a lot worse. Thankfully, the encounter between Sasuke and Hiashi had gone relatively smoothly.

"How did your talk with Sakura go?" Sasuke asks cautiously after Hiashi had left and was out of earshot.

His wife sighs. She quickly sits in his lap because Sasuke was already sitting on the couch and this was just an easy way to distract him. The new Mrs. Uchiha knew that her husband was rather easily distracted by her cleavage.

Was it fighting dirty? Yes, yes it was. Perhaps he was rubbing off on her. Still she didn't feel much guilt in deploying this tactic. It might very well save Sakura's life.

"She didn't tell anyone. I don't really want to talk about her anymore." She admits and slides out of her shirt.

Sasuke watches his wife partially strip. Oh purple satin today. That was an interesting choice. Wait, he was letting himself get distracted.

"I never thought you were devious enough to try to use your beauty to distract me in such a way. I'm impressed in a way, but a ninja must see through deception. Hinata, tell me what happened." He says.

"It was worth a try?" She asks.

"It was and it was a very good try. I do like the purple satin by the way. A good color choice and fabric. Very nice, but you aren't getting out of this. Tell me what happened." Sasuke says as he warps his arms around his wife.

Hinata sighs. Damn. Sasuke was just too smart to fall for the oldest trick in the book. That was the drawback of marrying a genius.

"Well she didn't tell anyone. She respects our privacy enough not to do that. She's also a medic. Sakura understands how important patient confidentiality is." His lover says.

"You aren't her patient and she can stop treating you as such." Sasuke observes with no small amount of irritation.

Hinata bites her lower lip. She knew that wasn't exactly a point in Sakura's favor. She pauses and then continues.

"I know. She wanted to make sure that you didn't get me pregnant to trap me into a marriage. I told her that you didn't. You proposed me before we knew that I was expecting." She explains.

"She's fortunate that I promised you that I wouldn't kill unless it was in self-defense. Otherwise, I probably would have killed her for suggesting that. What'd you say to that?" He asks.

"I made certain she didn't tell the village that I was pregnant and informed her that you proposed before we knew I was pregnant, just like I said. I left. I was too angry. If I had stayed, it wouldn't have ended well." The young woman says.

Sasuke nods. Hinata's temper was certainly better than his. It was probably a good thing that she was the one carrying their child. He was too prone to rages.

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Sasuke inquires.

"No. I don't think that would be a good idea. I really think that she understands now." Hinata says and kisses his cheek.

Sasuke sighs. He nods. If she didn't want him to confront Sakura, he wouldn't. He smiles and squeezes her shapely backside.

"Well I know that you were just attempting to seduce me with your feminine charms, but you don't have stop halfway." He says slyly.

Hinata smiles. Sasuke was Sasuke. She should have seen that one coming, but she didn't mind. It had been a long day. What better way to relax than spending some _quality time_ with her lover.

Meanwhile Tsunade blinks. She had just gone to check her mail when she received a special letter. It was a formal seal on it, but one that she didn't recognize.

 _ **Dear Lady Hokage,**_

 _ **We should like to speak with Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Uchiha about a transfer offer. News of their marriage has reached our village's ear. It might be better for everyone involved if the Uchiha Clan was restored in a different village.**_

 _ **We understand that it is through no fault of your own, but the Leaf does not have the happiest history when it comes to that Clan. Our village would benefit greatly from a new bloodline.**_

 _ **We are small but rich in resources. An alliance between the villages would be strategic. Please do inform them of our offer and get back to us at your earliest convenience.**_

 _ **Signed the Kazan Village**_

"Kazan…that translates to Volcano Village." Tsunade mutters to herself.

She had never heard of them. That didn't mean much though. The Five Great Nations' ninja villages were all well known, but there were many other villages. Either they had successfully stayed in the shadows by choice or they were too small to attract much attention.

"I suppose that I should be grateful that they wrote to me first. This could have ended in disaster otherwise. I expect Sasuke would be tempted by the offer. I don't know about Hinata though. Maybe she could talk some sense out of him." The busty blonde mutters to herself.

A new alliance would be beneficial, but she knew nothing about this new village. That and she barely trusted Sasuke in the Leaf. Having him be in another village, meant he couldn't be as easily monitored.

"It's tempting not to tell them. But the Volcano Village might get into contact with them, if I don't. That would make things even more awkward. Sasuke might convince Hinata to leave out of spite, if he believes the Leaf was keeping secrets from him." She reasons.

The medic sighs. She quickly heads off towards the Uchiha District. She didn't like it, but Tsunade didn't see another choice.

She had to tell them both about the offer. Maybe she could make them see reason. Hinata likely wouldn't want to leave her family behind, but Sasuke would probably jump at the opportunity to get out of the Leaf. He'd be leaving on good terms if his transfer helped to secure an alliance.

Fortunately for her, the door wasn't even locked. She supposed that only made sense. Very few people would dare to enter the Uchiha District uninvited. Tsunade heads into the house and ends up just outside the living room.

 **Warning Lemon Flavored Scene**

Her eyes widen at what she saw. The Hokage got an eyeful. The newlyweds were on the couch. Hinata was straddling Sasuke's hips and riding him. Sasuke was teasing Hinata's nipples with his teeth and caressing her back. Both were too lost in each other to notice her presence.

"…" Tsunade was speechless.

Maybe it would be best to talk to them later. They were rather busy. The smartest thing to do was to sneak out before she got caught.

It seemed like she had caught them at the tail end of their lovemaking though. Sasuke slides out of Hinata. He quickly throws his pants back on and darts over to Tsunade, slamming her against the wall.

 **End Lemon Flavored Scene**

In his mind, someone had invaded his house. Someone had been watching him and Hinata together. It was only natural that he'd lash out. He didn't know who it was.

"Sasuke, stop it!" Tsunade says.

Hinata quickly gets dressed. Her eyes widen when she realizes it was the Hokage that Sasuke had by the throat and pinned to the wall. Oh God. Tsunade had walked in on them. That was mortifying!

"Sasuke, let her go. I don't think she meant to spy on us." Hinata stammers.

Sasuke reluctantly releases the Lady Hokage. He eyes her warily. Now that he knew who she was, he didn't think that she was intentionally being a voyeur. It wasn't her style, but what did she want.

"You better have a damn good reason for barging into our home." Sasuke hisses.

"I do. I received a letter that I feel the both of you should look at. I don't think it's a good idea to accept the offer, but I want you to know that I am not deliberately keeping secrets from you." She says and hands Sasuke the letter.

"What offer?" Hinata asks in confusion and walks over to Sasuke to get a look at it.

Sasuke blinks. Another village was offering them a transfer. They could start over away from the Leaf. The Leaf would get an alliance out of it, so Hinata could still visit her family.

"How do we know this isn't at trick? I've never heard of them." Hinata asks.

"That seal is official. A Daimyo must have approved of their village becoming a ninja village at some point. It's a real offer, but I know nothing about them. Not even where they are located." Tsunade says.

"Then how are you supposed to send a reply?" Sasuke asks.

"They sent a messenger hawk with it. The hawk knows where they are located and will return whatever reply you give them. I hope that you don't accept the offer. It's a gamble to say the least." She points out.

Sasuke and Hinata go silent. Sasuke because he was debating the advantages vs. the fact that this village was a complete unknown. Hinata because she wasn't sure what her husband was going to say. Could they really do it? Could they leave the Leaf?


	19. Chapter 19

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I'd love to hear more of your opinions on the Volcano Village. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Two OC Uchihas are briefly mentioned in a flashback. Rajah's and Miko's purpose is more to show that the Uchiha District essentially could function in a fairly autonomous fashion. I believe that they probably would have had their own stores and things like that to a certain extent. That is just my interpretation and may not be cannon.

Chapter 19

A few hours later and the newlyweds were in a bubble bath. Hinata liked bubbles and Sasuke didn't mind indulging her. He smiles as he washes her back.

"So what do you think about the transfer offer?" He asks.

"Mmm I don't know. I've never heard of them before. The Leaf is where we were both born. I know that it hasn't always been the happiest place for you, but it is home. There is also Naruto and my family to consider." She points out.

Sasuke nods considering. They really didn't know anything about this village. There was Naruto and the Hyuga Clan to consider, but it wasn't like they couldn't visit them.

Would it be better for their child to start over in a village that hadn't once nearly wiped out their Clan? He doubted Tsunade would order another Massacre and Naruto was probably next in line. (If not Naruto, then certainly Kakashi.) It should be safe here. He had killed the Council. Still it would always be in the back of his mind.

"That's true, but just because we transfer doesn't mean that we would never see them again. We could always visit or they could visit us. This village is proposing an alliance. That would mean traveling back and forth would be allowed. Aren't you a little curious?" He asks and kisses her shoulder.

"I am a little curious, but I don't know if I feel safe going to an unknown village while I'm pregnant." She admits.

Sasuke frowns. Well that was a damn good point. Could he really risk taking his pregnant wife to a village that he knew nothing about?

"I would never let anything happen to you. Perhaps I could send Aoda or ask Naruto to have a look though? This village is ballsy enough to contact the Leaf with a transfer offer. They must be rather confident in their ability to stay off the radar or fight back if the offer went sour. Even if we don't transfer, I doubt this will be the last time we hear from them." Her husband reasons as he soaps up her breasts.

"Maybe Aoda would be best. Naruto is so easily recognized. If they know us well enough to offer us citizenship, they probably know that Aoda is your summon. They might let their guard down more around a snake than around a war hero." Hinata replies.

Her lover nods. The logic was sound. This way they wouldn't be risking their family's safety. They'd be on their best behavior for Naruto. A snake though, maybe not. Some people assumed summons were little more than trained animals. They were not. That was an advantage.

"Such a clever kitten. That's a brilliant idea. I'll talk to Tsunade about it tomorrow." He promises.

"Good." Hinata says with a smile and leans into Sasuke.

There were very few things more relaxing than a hot bubble bath. Though it was even more enjoyable to be cuddled up to her lover. This was nice. Very nice.

"Mhm." She says and turns around to kiss her husband.

Sasuke kisses back and smiles. He was glad that Hinata felt nice and relaxed. Thoughts of the other village flew out of his head the moment that their lips touched.

"I love you." He whispers, breaking the kiss.

"I love you too. Though I can see why the Volcano Village would invite you. You are very volcano like." She says with a giggle.

The male head of the Uchiha Clan raises an eyebrow. He wasn't entirely certain if that was an insult, a compliment, an observation, or a combination of all three. She was going to have to explain that one.

"What do you mean by that?" He asks as he helps her out of the bath.

"Well your Clan is very associated with fire. You have a temper that simmers under the surface then explodes. Also it's very apt metaphor to describe your lovemaking style. Lots of passion and explosions." She muses and takes his hand.

"Well when you put it that way, I suppose you have a point." He smirks and dries her off with a fluffy towel, once they are out of the water.

Hinata smiles. She could dry herself, but Sasuke seemed intent on pampering her. She'd be lying, if she said she didn't enjoy it. Though sometimes, she thought that he'd probably tear up the floor if she even stubbed her toe while pregnant. He was that overprotective. (She was only half joking.)

"How are you feeling? No more Morning Sickness?" He asks as he slides a bathrobe onto her and begins drying himself off.

The young woman was momentarily distracted. It didn't matter how many times she saw him naked. There was really no denying that it was a magnificent sight.

"Hinata?" He asks again, noticing that he hadn't received an answer and growing mildly concerned.

"Oh I'm sorry. What?" The bluenette inquires as she snaps out of her daze.

"I asked if your Morning Sickness has passed. Though with the way you are looking at me, it seems you have something else on your mind." Sasuke observes with an arrogant, sexy smirk.

For a moment, she marveled at the two contradictory emotions that smirk stirred inside her. On one hand, she wanted to smack that smug look off of his face. On the other, it reminded her of how she got pregnant in the first place.

"It has and you don't need me to stroke your ego. You know what you look like." She mumbles in a half irritated and half embarrassed fashion.

"As much as my ego does love to e stroked, I'd rather have you stroke something else." He says and he pins her against the wall playfully.

Hinata smiles and kisses him. Sasuke definitely liked pouncing. So did she really. It was addictive really. The bluenette knew that she was the center of his complete and undivided attention. No one else had ever focused on her to this extent.

Sasuke returns the kiss. He was just about to see if Hinata was feeling well enough for a round or two of lovemaking, when he hears a knock on the door. Sasuke sighs. Damn it.

"Hold that thought. I'll be right back." He grumbles and heads downstairs to answer the door.

It was Sakura. Oh yeah. There went his good mood instantly. He felt his eyes bleed red.

The medic must have noticed his Sharingan because she took a couple steps back. Good. He was glad that she was smart enough to realize he was angry with her and back down to a certain extent.

"What are you doing here?" He asks.

"I wanted to talk to Hinata. I owe her an apology. I figured she wasn't likely to leave your home, so I came here." She replies honestly.

He couldn't disagree with that logic. Hinata was on maternity leave. It was only natural to assume she'd be at home. Still he wasn't too thrilled about having his former teammate in his District.

"I'll see if she wishes to speak with you. Considering what you pulled, I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't. We're married, Sakura. We keep no secrets from each other. I know everything." Sasuke hisses at her and heads upstairs.

Sakura gulps. Damn it. She probably should have guessed that Hinata would tell Sasuke. He was her husband. It was only natural.

This might not end well. Sasuke had a bad temper on his best day and she had basically tried to break them up. He must be furious with her.

"Hinata, it's Sakura. She claims that she wants to apologize to you. Do you want to talk to her or for me to tell her to get lost?" Sasuke asks.

Hinata sighs. Well sooner or later, she would have to talk with Sakura. Avoiding her wasn't going to make things better. She bites her lower lip and makes her decision.

"I'll talk to her. Maybe you should go take Yuki for a walk? I don't know if I want the two of you in the same building right now." Hinata admits.

"Alright. I'll take Yuki for a walk. You can chat with her. I'll walk her around the District. That should give you plenty of time to say what you need to say to her." Sasuke says and walks downstairs.

Hinata sighs. She takes a deep breath and follows him. When arrives at the door, she gestures for the pink haired woman to follow her inside the house. Sasuke was just departing with the snowy white ninja dog as Sakura came inside.

"He can't even stand to be in the same house as me." Sakura observes dejectedly.

"You tried to break apart his marriage. I thought it would be best if you two weren't anywhere near each other. I know that you were just trying to protect me, but Sasuke doesn't see it that way." The former Hyuga woman states.

Sakura nods. She understood why he was upset with her. She supposed she did deserve it. It was just really hard to wrap her head around the fact that Sasuke had suddenly transformed into some kind of Romeo for the shy Hyuga Heiress. (Well shy Uchiha, she mentally corrects herself.)

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed that you were tricked into a marriage. It's just that Sasuke has never sought out bonds. He's always tried to destroy them. I assumed that he just wanted to restore his Clan. I thought that I was looking out for you. I didn't want you to be used, but it looks like his feelings for you are genuine." Sakura says in a rush.

"Your intentions were good, but don't do it again. I'm married to Sasuke because he proposed to me and I said yes. I wanted to marry him. He didn't trick me. I'm not naïve, Sakura. I know what he's capable of, but he loves me and I love him. That's the most important thing. Be happy for us. If you can't do that, at least stop trying to break us apart." Hinata says.

The pink haired medic sighs and nods. Breaking them apart wasn't going to happen. Hinata did seem to sincerely believe Sasuke loved her. Maybe he did. Maybe the fact that he was about to be a father would be enough for him to finally move on from his bloody past.

"I'm glad that you found each other. It has to be the most unexpected match in history, but I am happy for you." Sakura says.

Hinata smiles. Good. Now maybe Sakura would finally understand. If they were lucky, Sasuke would eventually forgive her or at least not kill her.

"Good." She says and Sakura nods in agreement.

Meanwhile Sasuke takes Yuki on that walk. He could see that the construction crews were beginning to make some progress. A few buildings here and there had been restored.

He pauses when he steps on something. Sasuke looks down and pulls a sign out from underneath his foot. It must have gotten thrown to the side during construction. **Welcome to** _ **Miko's and Rajah's Candy Shop.**_

He smiles. Sasuke remembered that store well, when he was little. It was the reason why he had stopped liking sweets. He associated sweets with their candy shop too much. Sweets made him remember what he had lost. He sighs as he remembers a more innocent time.

 _"Good morning, Sasuke." Miko greeted him._

 _Miko had been another Uchiha. Sasuke called her Auntie, though in reality she was his mother's aunt. She was technically his great aunt. Such distinctions were meaningless to a five year old boy though._

 _"Morning, auntie." He said brightly and looks around the store._

 _It was so colorful! He could smell all the candies. Some of them you couldn't find anywhere else because Rajah had invented them. Rajah was his great uncle. He called him Uncle Rajah. The man was quite good at concocting new candy. Miko ran the actual business side of things._

 _"Here to spend your birthday money?" Rajah asked good naturedly and Sasuke nodded his head excitedly._

 _Rajah chuckles. He lets the young boy race around the shop, picking up this and that. Lots of watermelon and cherry flavored candies. Those were Sasuke's favorite._

 _"Well you certainly know what you want. That's the secret to a happy life. Knowing what you want and going for it." Rajah said and patted his great nephew's head affectionately._

 _"Yeah!" Sasuke said with a smile and paid for his sweets._

He sighs. Rajah had been right about that. That was how he got Hinata. Still it was hard to look at that sign.

They had been such a kind elderly couple. It was hard to believe they had been involved in a coup, but they must have. Everyone had known except for him. His younger self had been incredibly oblivious.

Maybe he was being too hard on himself. Perhaps anyone in his shoes wouldn't have realized what was going on. The fact that he had been a young, naïve child was the only reason why he was still alive. It was how Itachi had managed to convince them to allow him to spare his baby brother.

"I'll have it rebuilt." He says with a smile as he carries the sign and continues walking Yuki.

Yuki was a puppy. She was just happy to be outside and sniffing everything. Sasuke smiles and pats her ears.

"Good girl." He praises and leads her around the District.

He might not like sweets anymore, but odds are his son or daughter would. Most children did. They might enjoy a candy shop.

By the time he got back to their home, he saw that Sakura was leaving. Sasuke heads inside. He quickly embraces his wife. God only knows what sort of ideas Sakura might have tried to implant in her head.

"Sasuke, it's alright. She didn't try to convince me to leave you. I think Sakura understands now. Things should be better between the three of us. I really think she is beginning to accept the fact that we are married and in love. It was just hard for her." Hinata says with a smile.

"You are far too kind and empathetic sometimes. It's a wonderful trait for a mother, but I would have Chidoried her. I would have done so long before now. She needs to learn to respect our privacy. I hope that she does take your talk to heart though." He says.

Hinata sighs and nods. She blinks when she saw Sasuke was carrying a fairly large piece of wood. The young woman looks at it curiously.

"Sasuke, what is that?" Hinata asks.

"Oh it's an old sign from one of our family businesses. Thought I might see if it's salvable. It'd be nice to have the original sign on it." He says.

The new Uchiha woman hugs her husband tighter. It was almost heartbreaking really. He was so desperate for a connection to his slain family, that he wanted to keep an old sign that was probably irreparable.

"Well I suppose it can't hurt. Um what kind of business was it?" His wife inquires.

"A candy shop. My great aunt and uncle owned it." Sasuke replies.

"But you hate sweets." Hinata states in confusion, wondering why Sasuke wanted to rebuild a candy shop.

"I didn't used to. Sweets just remind me of them. Besides, just because I don't like them…doesn't mean our son or daughter won't." The other ninja reasons.

Hinata smiles. She kisses Sasuke's cheek. He may not like sweets, but that was surprisingly sweet.

The next day, Hinata and Sasuke go to speak with Tsunade. They knock on her office door and she calls out for them to come in. The Uchihas walk inside and sit down.

"Well I assume that you have had time to think about the Volcano Village's offer. You do not need to make a decision immediately of course. I'm certain that they would understand if you want more time." She begins.

"We have. We aren't ready to rush off to join them just yet. Our proposal is simple. We'll send Aoda there to check it out. Hinata is pregnant. Taking her to a village that we have never heard about, isn't a smart move while she is expecting. It could be dangerous." Sasuke says.

Tsunade blinks. She hadn't expected them to want to send a giant snake to investigate the new village. That meant that on some level, Sasuke was seriously considering the transfer. Hinata as well. She wouldn't have agreed to such a suggestion, if she wasn't.

"Are you certain that this is what you wish to do?" The busty blonde asks and the couple nod their head.

"Even if we don't accept their transfer offer, it would be good to learn more about them. They must be fairly confident in their safety to write us like this. We both doubt that this is going to be the last that we've heard of them either way." Hinata says softly.

Tsunade nods and sighs. That was a good point. If nothing else, they knew that the Volcano people were rather confident. No other village had dared to make such an offer. This likely wouldn't be the last that they heard from them.

"Very well. I shall write them a response. I'll simply say that you wish to send Aoda to investigate. If they are not comfortable with that, then should I tell them that you both reject their transfer offer?" She inquires.

Sasuke looks at Hinata. After a moment, they both nod in agreement. If that village didn't want Aoda in it, there was really no reason in pursuing it further.

"Yes, that is exactly what you should tell them." Sasuke says and Hinata nods in agreement.

"Excellent. Hinata, how are you feeling? Would you like for me to head to the hospital with me for a quick examination, while you are here?" The medic asks.

Hinata considers it. It'd probably be good to get looked at. You never could be too careful, when you were pregnant. Besides, it would probably soothe Sasuke.

"Alright. You don't mind, do you?" She asks her husband.

"Of course not. I'll go with you." Sasuke replies and kisses her cheek affectionately.

Tsunade leaves with them. Sasuke was the very definition of overprotective. He wasn't even willing to leave the Hokage alone with Hinata for a pregnancy exam. Sheesh.

Tsunade conducts the exam. She takes an ultrasound and runs various tests. So far everything looked normal.

"Well he or she is developing normally, except in one area. I am picking up slight chakra signals. I suppose it's to be expected. Sasuke's chakra reserves are massive and Hinata, you have excellent chakra control. So I'm not concerned about it. However, if you feel strange at all, come here immediately. It could be the result of the baby subconsciously using its chakra." She explains.

Sasuke blinks. Tsunade had basically said that their child might be able to use chakra from the WOMB. On one hand, he felt rather proud of his little prodigy. On the other hand, that might not end well.

"Are you sure that it's safe?" Sasuke asks.

"I'm about 99% sure. Still it doesn't hurt to exercise a little caution. It's rare, but it's not unheard of for this to happen when two powerful ninjas have a child together. The records for Madara's child are particularly interesting, if you go back to the historical medical archives." She answers him.

The raven haired ninja felt himself twitch at that. She had access to his ancestor's medical records?! What it wasn't enough to almost wipe out his Clan? Now the Leaf had to control their personal information from beyond the grave?!

"Sasuke, don't look at me like that. It's standard procedure to keep these records, especially for bloodline Clans. Besides, you should be happy we have such information. It may prove useful for you and Hinata." Tsunade says.

The busty blonde could see what direction his thoughts were going. She knew that she had to cut this off quickly. The last thing she needed was for Sasuke to go on another rampage. (Nobody did rampages like Sasuke Uchiha.)

"I suppose you're right. Is it too early to find out the gender?" Sasuke asks.

"Sasuke, it is way too early to find out the gender. You'll just have to wait." Tsunade says in amusement.

"But he or she is already manifesting chakra. So I thought that maybe, the physical development would also be faster." Sasuke says in a way that almost sounded like he was pouting.

Hinata laughs. She smiles and snuggles into his hold. Sasuke was so impatient. It was cute.

"I'm afraid that isn't the case. Do take it easy. I shall start on the letter right away. Hinata, I want you to rest. This kid might very well be a handful before he or she is even born." The Hokage warns her.

"Oh I know. I will take it easy. I promise. Don't worry, Lady Tsunade. I'll be careful." Hinata assures her as she walks off with her husband.

Tsunade shakes her head in disbelief. She still couldn't quite fathom that somehow Hinata Hyuga had married Sasuke Uchiha of all people. They said that opposites attract, but this was a little ridiculous.

God help them when that kid was born. She could only hope that the next generation of Uchihas would be mellower. Tsunade silently prayed that they would take after Hinata, at least in temperament. Otherwise, they might all be doomed.

"Life can be so strange sometimes." She muses.

She had fully expected that Hinata would eventually get Naruto to notice her. It seemed that her romantic affection for the blonde had been one sided though. Sasuke had certainly noticed her.

At first, she had thought that the formerly last Uchiha, had only been interested in merging the bloodlines. Now, she was forced to reevaluate that position. However twisted Sasuke's mind might be, there was real and genuine affection there.

"Let's just hope that she doesn't die before him or try to leave him. I don't think that he village could survive that." Tsunade mutters with a dramatic sigh.

She could easily pictured the village being reduced to ash and rubble, if that was the case. Naruto would never be able to kill Sasuke. Sasuke in one of his rage though, he wouldn't hold any punches.

It was somewhat reassuring to see him relatively serene by Hinata. Maybe there was hope for him after all. This child might end up being a good thing.

Fatherhood would anchor him a bit. Now they just needed to get this situation with the Volcano Village straightened out and maybe things would go back to "normal." Well as normal as things ever got in the Leaf Village anyway.


	20. Chapter 20

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Well this chapter is going to feature a fairly big time skip. I hope you all enjoy it.

 **Chapter Notation:** I didn't check when Choji's birthday was. I just thought it was good explanation for Naruto's appearance.

 **Sasuke's Personality** : Darker Sasuke will return next chapter. At the moment, he's in his happy place. He's not going to stay that way.

Chapter 20

A few months later, Aoda slithers back to the Leaf after another of his many trips to the Volcano Village. He didn't mind this task. He was helping to protect his Master's Mate and hatchling. That and the Volcano Villagers apparently viewed snakes as sacred. So he always came back as spoiled.

"There you are, Aoda. How did it go?" Hinata asks with a sweet smile once the massive serpent races over to their home.

"Well. Nothing new to report. I think they are getting a little anxious waiting on an answer. Some of them probably suspect that you are with child. Why else would a decision take this long to make?" The Summon answers.

Sasuke frowns. He wasn't so sure if he was happy about that. Then again, Hinata was now showing. There was now no longer a way to keep her pregnancy a secret, unless they used a Genjutsu to hide it. (And that would just be annoying to maintain all the time.)

"At least we know they aren't stupid. You've earned your wine, Aoda. You can go pick out a few bottles from the wine cellar." Sasuke says and the giant snake slinks off to do exactly that.

"I can't believe that you bribe your snake summon with alcohol." His wife giggles.

Sasuke shrugs. He didn't view it as a bribe. The only male Uchiha viewed it as rewarding Aoda for a job well done.

Why did he think of himself as the only male Uchiha? Well there was a good reason for that. The day before they had gone to one of Hinata's doctor appointments. She was far enough along to determine the gender of the baby and so they had asked Tsunade to do so. Sasuke couldn't help but remember the day in startling clarity.

 _"Well Hinata, you are five months along now. We should easily be able to tell the gender of the baby, if the two of you wish to know. Do you want to know if it's a boy or girl or would you prefer to be surprised?" Tsunade asked._

 _Hinata looked at Sasuke. She smiled and shook her head. The bluenette knew that Sasuke was dying of curiosity. She wasn't going to put him through another four months of waiting._

 _"I would like to know and I know that he would love to know." She said with a giggle._

 _Sasuke merely nods his head. He was trying to preserve his dignity. The last thing he needed was for Tsunade to see him giddy. His pride would never recover._

 _"Wonderful. Sometimes it can take awhile to tell. It depends how much they are moving around." The Hokage warned them and sets up the ultrasound._

 _"That's alright. It's not as if we have other obligations today." Sasuke said._

 _Tsunade merely nods and gestures towards the machine. Sasuke and Hinata could see the image of their baby on the screen. He or she was moving around A LOT. Every time Tsunade tried to get a good look, their child would turn around or cross their legs._

 _"I guess our baby is just as shy as you, Hinata." Sasuke noted with amusement._

 _"That or as stubborn as you. It's almost like they know what Tsunade is trying to do." His wife grumbled._

 _Tsunade chuckled. She hoped that was a joke. Then again, this was Sasuke's child as much as Hinata's. Anything was possible. AH HA! There we go._

 _"Fussy little thing, but I got it. Congratulations, it's a girl. A very shy or sneaky girl. Maybe both, but you are definitely having a daughter." The busty blonde informed them._

 _Sasuke blinked as he processed that. He might not have a preference one way or another, but he had more or less expected a son. The only male Uchiha tried to wrap his mind around the fact he had a daughter._

 _"Well I'm sure she'll be just as beautiful as her mother." He said and kissed Hinata's cheek with a smile._

 _Naturally, a daughter meant certain precautions would have to be taken in about 10 or 15 years, but that was alright. He certainly wasn't going to let her get stalked like he had a child. Nope. That wasn't going to happen._

 _Hinata smiled at the praise and the gestured. She cuddled into her husband and patted her rounded belly. They were having a daughter. That would make picking out a name a bit easier._

"It's not a bribe. It's positive reinforcement." Sasuke argues.

"Your father is very silly sometimes." Hinata says to her belly as walks inside their home.

"Silly? I'm not silly!" Sasuke protests in disbelief at that rather unfair assessment.

His wife just shakes her had in amusement. The look on her husband's face was absolutely priceless. She couldn't resist teasing him.

"Very silly." She continues in a mock somber voice as Aoda rushes off to get his wine.

Meanwhile Tsunade sighs in her office. She looks over the reports that Sasuke had given her. He transcribed everything that his Summon said for her. It was interesting to say the least.

The Volcano Village was on an island about at hundred miles off the cost of the Fire Nation. It was a fairly large island and had an inactive volcano on it. The soil was rich from previous explosions and thus they had a thriving agricultural community and sea industry because they were on an island. The population was somewhat modest, but they did have a ninja academy and a hospital.

"Their numbers are too few to be a real threat to the Leaf. They are clearly self-sustaining though." She sighs to herself.

The medic ponders the possibilities. As far as she could tell, Sasuke was planning to stay in the Leaf at least until Hinata had their daughter. He wanted her to have the best medical care and probably wanted the Hyugas to have a chance to see the baby.

After that though, she wasn't certain. There weren't any alarm bells ringing. It seemed like it was a truly genuine offer. Would the newlyweds take it though? That was the question.

"Tsunade, you look rather distressed." Kakashi says as he walks into her office.

She sighs. Well she supposed she might as well talk to Kakashi about the situation. The silver haired ninja had been Sasuke's teacher. The man simply knew the last male Uchiha better than she did.

"You are aware of the Volcano Village's offer to Sasuke and Hinata, correct?" She asks.

The CopyCat Ninja could only nod. Yes, he knew. Sasuke had told Naruto. Naruto had told him. Well he thought fondly, the boisterous blonde had never really been that good at keeping secrets. So it wasn't' surprising that Naruto told him.

"Yes, Naruto informed me. Have they made a decision yet?" He inquires.

"Not that I'm aware of. I think that Sasuke is planning to stay here until Hinata gives birth and recovers. He has been sending Aoda to this village. The Summon has been briefing us about it. Nothing is particularly concerning yet, but appearances can be deceiving." Tsunade mutters.

Kakashi sighs. He knew Sasuke. Sasuke was likely very tempted by the offer. If he didn't have a pregnant wife, he was sure that the raven haired ninja would have already left. He was being cautious for Hinata's sake though. Well that and the baby's sake.

"That would make sense. Despite everything, he knows that you are arguably the most talented medical ninja in the world. Sasuke will want only the best care for Hinata's delivery. What are your impressions of this new village?" He asks.

Tsunade sighs. She pulls out a bottle of sake from underneath her desk. The medic quickly pours herself a glass and takes a long gulp, before answering Kakashi.

"It seems to be legitimate. An island ninja village. Big enough to be self-sufficient, but not big enough to have much of a reputation or to pose a serious threat to us." She admits.

The Jonin nods at that assessment. Maybe the young family would actually be happier there. Though he had to admit, he wasn't fond of the idea that Sasuke would be completely out of sight. If something happened, they wouldn't see it coming.

"Anything else that I should know?" He asks.

"Their having a daughter. I just checked the gender yesterday." Tsunade adds as an afterthought.

"I really pity the boys in her age group in a few years. Sasuke is going to be the most overprotective father that the world has ever known." Kakashi chuckles.

Tsunade nods. She takes another gulp of her drink. The silver haired ninja might only be jesting, but she knew the truth. Kakashi was absolutely right and they should pity those boys.

Elsewhere in the Volcano Village, the KasaiKage sighs as he reads a letter from Sasuke and Hinata. This was taking a lot longer than he would have expected. Aoda had made several visits.

There were three possibilities. The first was that the couple had no interest in moving there, but wanted to gather intelligence on their village. The second was that Sasuke and Hinata really were that indecisive. The third was that Hinata was pregnant.

"The last one makes the most sense." Dai muses to himself.

If she was pregnant, then Sasuke wouldn't want to risk taking her to a relatively unknown village. He'd probably want to stay in the Leaf where he knew what kind of medical care was available. It would make sense.

 _ **Dear KasaiKage,**_

 _ **Thank you for allowing Aoda to visit your village once again. At this time, we regret to inform you that no final decision has been made. There are many factors that we must take into account.**_

 _ **Thank you for your generous offer. We look forward to informing you when we have made our final decision. Have a pleasant day.**_

 _ **Sincerely, Sasuke and Hinata Uchiha.**_

He chuckles. Dai was almost certain that the tone of that letter was more Hinata's doing than her husband's. His temper was quite infamous. He knew relatively little about his wife.

Dai was aware that she had been the Hyuga Heiress, but had given that up to marry him. She had a younger sister, so that hadn't caused the Hyuga Clan any inner turmoil about the line of succession. He suspected that Sasuke had instructed Aoda not to tell him anything about Hinata or their private life. That was one faithful snake summon.

"Snakes get an undeserved bad reputation." He states and continues with his other files.

Of course he knew that offering them citizenship was a risk. The Leaf could be offended and crush them all, but he was nothing if not bold. The potential benefits were too good to pass up.

Their village would get at least two bloodlines. Possibly three. There really was no telling if the merger of the Sharingan and Byakugan would result in an entirely new bloodline. Perhaps the Sharingan would be dominant or the Byakugan. It was possible that some children would get the Sharingan and others would get the Byakugan. There really were a lot of intriguing possiblities.

Not only would having such a Clan in their village increase their military power, but also their prestige. The Uchiha Clan had a long and terrifying history. So did the Hyugas. (Though their own history was considerably less tragic, depending on how you viewed it.)

"If they do come, I hope that the Main and Branch House practices aren't imported." He mutters to himself.

He viewed that practice as rather barbaric, but he would overlook it. It was a Hyuga Clan thing, so he was fairly confident that it wouldn't be imported. Why take his last name, if they were just going to operate as another branch of the Hyuga Family Tree?

"Still no answer?" His assistant asks and he shakes his head.

"I think that we will get our answer one way or another before the year is out though." The Kage assures her.

She nods. Well she couldn't disagree with that logic. There was only realistically so much time that they could stall before they accepted or rejected the transfer offer.

"Of course. Can I get anything for you, Lord Dai?" The brunette inquires.

"Hmm some coffee would be lovely. Thank you Monoko." He states and the assistant heads off to fetch him some coffee.

He sighs and decides that the only thing they could do was wait. They just had to wait for an answering. It was not a fun process, but sooner or later the Uchihas would say yes or not. Dai would just have to be patient.

Back in the Uchiha Estate, Hinata squeaks. Sasuke immediately darts over to his wife to see what was wrong. What would cause his wife, a Jonin, to squeak?

"Hinata, what's the matter?" He asks.

"Nothing. She just kicked." Hinata says and Sasuke smiles.

He wraps his arms around his wife and cuddles to her. That was wonderful news. Generally, they started kicking between 16 and 25 weeks during their first pregnancy. At 20 weeks, their daughter was developing normally.

"Good. Perhaps she'll favor Taijutsu then." He says with a smirk.

"Mmm given who her father is, I would expect she'd favor Ninjutsu and Taijutsu." She says with a giggle and leans against him.

Sasuke considers this. Well maybe. There was as chance that their daughter might take after her paternal grandmother or uncle though. Maybe she'd favor Genjutsu.

"Anything's possible. Didn't expect her to have a chakra signature before she could kick. She's full of surprises. Just like her mother." Sasuke says with a smile and kisses Hinata's cheek.

"What do you mean by that?" She asks.

"Well you're normally so sweet and innocent, but you are wicked with that mouth of yours." Her husband replies with a smirk.

"SASUKE! I can't believe you just said that in front of our daughter." She stammers and blushes.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Amazing. He could ravish her with a clone watching and that was acceptable. Implying that Hinata was excellent at oral sex though, that was a bridge too far.

"I highly doubt that as intelligent as I'm sure she is, she understands what I was just implying." Sasuke retorts.

"Maybe. Though you really do have to watch what you say around her. I don't want her to show up at the Academy one day and get in trouble for saying inappropriate things." Hinata chides him gently.

Sasuke chuckles. It amazed him that the Leaf expected twelve year olds to be capable of killing, yet any mention of sex was taboo. Honestly, this village really needed to sort out it's priorities.

"When she's actually old enough to speak, I'll start watching what I say more around her." Sasuke assures her.

"Good. You are a father now. You should be careful about what you say." Hinata continues.

Sasuke smirks. He couldn't resist teasing his kitten. It was too easy sometimes. He almost felt guilty. Did that mean he was going to stop though? Absolutely not.

"Besides, I know you don't really want me to start behaving like a monk. You like it when I'm bad. You just won't admit it." He says and lightly bites down on her neck, drawing a quiet moan from his wife.

"That was evil." She moans and squirms against him.

"Maybe, but you liked it." Sasuke says with a smirk as he continues marking up his wife's beautiful neck.

Sasuke could be a rather possessive bastard, Hinata had noticed. He did seem to delight in covering her in love bites or giving her Clan Symbols. It was like he wanted the rest of the world to know that she was taken. (As if somehow their wedding hadn't quite managed to accomplish this, in his mind.)

"Mmm I never denied that. Have you thought about what you want to do about the Volcano Village's offer?" She whispers.

"I've thought about it a lot. What about you?" Sasuke asks as he caresses the curve of her hip.

Hinata sighs. She really didn't know what the right answer was. Clearly, Sasuke would probably feel more comfortable in the other village than he did in the Leaf. But her family lived here. Sasuke's Clan had helped to found the Leaf. Surely, that had to mean something?

The chance to start over was an exciting possibility. Their Clan would haven't have the caste system that hers had. It could be a completely new chapter in at least one branch of the Hyuga Family tree.

"I don't know. I go back and forth." The bluenette admits.

"I feel the same way. Well we don't have to make a decision now. We have time. How about we just go out for dinner tonight and we can talk about this tomorrow?" Sasuke asks.

Hinata smiles. She knew that if Sasuke had his way, they'd probably just dine inside the Uchiha District every night. But he would take her out. She knew that Sasuke realized that Hinata wanted him to attempt to reintegrate into the village. So he would indulge her.

"That sounds nice. Where would you like to go?" She asks.

"You can choose. Wherever you want." Sasuke tells her and caresses Hinata's cheek affectionately.

The mother to be considers it. Well there was a nice steak house nearby. She was craving something more substantial today.

Her daughter was very unpredictable. One week it would be ice cream, the next salad, and so forth. Apparently, now she wanted her mother to become a carnivore. (Sasuke had appreciated ice cream week though. Yes, he was a deviant, but he was her deviant.)

"Maybe the steak house." She suggests.

"Sounds good to me." Sasuke says as he walks off with his wife.

Surprisingly, her husband was rather fond of PDA. He enjoyed kissing and hand holding. He'd usually wrap one hand around her waist (or lower if he thought he could get away with it.) She knew that he was affectionate towards her by nature, but she thought that he also enjoyed scandalizing the villagers.

She had caught him smirking more than once when the people around them gasped. He could be sadistic when he wanted to be. Hinata was just grateful that he chose to scandalize them by kissing her now, instead of violence. It was progress really.

"Great." Hinata says and they head to the steak house.

Not surprisingly, every eye in the room was suddenly on them. Hinata felt her face heating up slightly. They had been married for months. Sooner or later, surely everyone would get used to seeing them together.

Most of the people were openly gaping at her rounded belly. It made her feel self-conscious. Thankfully, Sasuke distracted his wife by kissing her lightly and pulling out the chair for her.

"Oh hey, bastard! Hey, Hinata." Naruto says cheerfully as he heads over.

"Naruto, what are you doing here? Are you lost? This isn't the Ramen Shop?" Sasuke taunts him.

"Hey, I eat things besides ramen! Besides, it's Choji's birthday. So me, Kiba, and Shikamaru are taking him out to celebrate." The blonde protests.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Ah well that explained it. They had managed to drag him to restaurant that way. Impressive. A birthday celebration could be quite motivating when it came to controlling idiots.

"Well I hope he has a good birthday." Sasuke offers.

"Hinata, you are working miracles! You are teaching the bastard some manners. You should be really proud of yourself!" The boisterous ninja chimes merrily.

Hinata couldn't help but laugh. Sasuke and Naruto would always bicker like cats and dogs. That would never change.

"Thank you, I think. Wish Choji a happy birthday for me as well." The young woman says.

"Yeah. So did you guys find out if it's a boy or a girl yet?" The blue eyed ninja asks excitedly.

Sasuke just smiles smugly. Hinata tries not to laugh at that expression. Sasuke was very inch in the proud papa.

"We did. It's a girl." Hinata replies.

Naruto blinks. Uh oh. He could only picture the poor unlucky Genins that got placed on the same team as Sasuke's daughter in a little over a decade. This might not end well.

"Oh well that's great! Hopefully, she takes after you. If she has the bastard's temper, that wouldn't be good." The blonde says.

Sasuke felt himself twitch. Sometimes he really did wonder if Naruto had a death wish. Who the Hell said stuff like that? Maybe he just needed his daily beating. Yeah, that must be it.

"Well as long as she doesn't get your loud mouth, I'm sure that the village will survive." Sasuke retorts.

"Sasuke, be nice. Naruto is only teasing." Hinata points out.

"I am being nice. I haven't thrown him against the wall yet." Sasuke shrugs at the mild chastising.

Hinata just shakes her head. Sasuke was Sasuke. There were some things that you just weren't going to change. Him issuing death threats or at least threats of violence, was apparently just one of them.

"I love you, but he's right. You do have a temper." The eldest female Uchiha says as she kisses her husband.

Sasuke smirks and kisses back. Alright, maybe he did have a temper. But still he felt justified in having one. Who wouldn't in his situation?

"I love you too. This village should be so grateful to you. Sometimes you are the only reason that it's still standing." He admits.

"Sasuke." Hinata says warningly.

"What? It's the truth." Sasuke says and leans over to whisper something in her ear.

Hinata felt herself shiver. There was something very hypnotic about feeling his warm breath against her skin. She knew that he was going to say something outrageous though and braces herself.

"Besides, you can punish me later if you want. I have some handcuffs…" He offers.

The young wife's face blushes a brilliant shade of red. Sasuke idly notes she was redder than a tomato. Hinata sputters and Naruto gives her a funny look.

"Bastard, what did you say to her?" He demands.

"That's really none of your business. It's a private discussion between a man and his wife." Sasuke says smugly.

Naruto just shakes his head. Maybe he didn't want to know. God only knows what went on in that crazy head of Sasuke's.


	21. Chapter 21

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thank for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter because we are going to return to a darker Sasuke during parts of it.

 **Chapter Notation** : A time skip. This happens six months after the last one, unless otherwise stated in a flashback ;) You do the math. Oh and Sasuke has a new jutsu.

Chapter 21

"Hinata, we're leaving." Sasuke informs his wife six months later.

Hinata blinks. What? Why? Why were they leaving and where were they going? Sasuke wasn't making any sense and what was causing his chakra to lash out around him in a rage?

"W-here are we going? Sasuke, stop that. You're scaring Yumi." His wife stammers.

Yumi was their daughter She was now two months old. Neither she, nor Hinata were used to seeing this side of Sasuke. Hinata realized his anger wasn't directed at them, but Yumi didn't. She was just a baby.

"I'm sorry, Yumi." Sasuke says and leans down to kiss her forehead.

Hinata smiles in relief. Whatever was bothering him, wasn't bad enough to override his concern for their daughter at least. Still it had to be bad, if he wanted to leave so suddenly.

"Sasuke, what is going on?" His wife demands.

"I found out why the Volcano Village stopped responding to our letters a couple of months ago. The new Council was having them intercepted and destroyed. They wanted us to think that the other village had given up on us. The treacherous snakes." Sasuke says.

Yumi didn't know what was wrong. She just knew her normally very happy daddy was…not happy to say the least. She coos and reaches for him.

"Such a good girl, you are." Sasuke praises and he scoops her up out of her crib and rocks her.

Yumi smiles and cuddles into her daddy. Daddy cuddled her and spun her around a lot. He liked to tickle her too!

"Sasuke, are you sure?" Hinata asks.

"I'm positive. We are getting the fuck out of here. Tsunade knows about the offer. It will get the Leaf an alliance. We can leave before it happens again. I'm not going to let anything happen to you or Yumi." Sasuke says as he sets his daughter back down in the crib.

He forms a dozen or so shadow clones. They all get to work on grabbing everything that was important. The bluenette blinks and stands there frozen in shock.

She couldn't believe it. Would the NEW Council really do that? Would they do that without the Hokage's orders? The young mothers sighs and was privately forced to admit that they probably would.

"Sasuke, how on Earth are you going to carry all that?" Hinata asks.

"Shrinking jutsu. I've been experimenting with it for awhile." He says and performs several hand seals.

A houseful of belongings was suddenly shrunken down to a small enough size that he could easily shove everything into one suitcase. The bluenette tilts her head to the side. Well that was certainly useful.

"Sasuke, wait. Shouldn't we talk to Tsunade about this first? Maybe we can sort this out." The young woman suggests.

"I'm done talking. The last time the Council started being secretive, they ordered the slaughter of my family. I'm not going to let them do it again. I promised when Yumi was born that I was going to protect both of you. That's EXACTLY what I'm going to do." Sasuke says firmly as he remembers that day.

 _Two months earlier, Sasuke swore that Hinata was going to break his hand. She was gripping it so tightly as another contraction rocked through her body. He didn't mind though. Sasuke understood she was in a Hell of a lot of pain._

 _"Hinata, are you sure that you don't want the pain medication?" Sasuke asked softly._

 _Imagination his surprise when his normally sweet wife, almost snapped his head off. (Verbally, but still.) Sasuke got quite the epic tongue lashing. His kitten scolded him about how she wanted a NATURAL BIRTH._

 _"It's better for our daughter this way!" She snapped at him._

 _"I know. But lots of people take the medication and their children turn out just fine. I don't like seeing you in pain." He whispered and kissed her forehead._

 _His wife gave him a rather sarcastic reply. Sasuke was a bit taken aback. He idly mused that he must be rubbing off on her._

 _It took all night for their daughter to be born. The youngest Uchiha eventually emerged with a rather loud cry. Tsunade quickly grabbed her and checked her vitals. Another medic helps Hinata clean up._

 _"Is she alright?" Hinata and Sasuke asked anxiously._

 _"Oh she's perfectly fine. You have a healthy baby girl and she's surprisingly adorable considering who her father is." Tsunade observed._

 _Sasuke gave her a dirty look. Tsunade laughed and placed the newborn into Hinata's arms. She promptly starts trying to nurse. Tsunade gave Hinata a cover to preserve her modesty._

 _The only male Uchiha smiled as he looked down at his daughter. She had Hinata's midnight blue hair but his onyx eyes (well when his Sharingan wasn't activated.) Her skin tone was nearly identical to his. Sasuke noted she had Hinata's nose and smile. Definitely his ears though. Oh and he was pretty sure that was his mother's chin. Itachi was even represented. She had markings on her face similar to her uncle's._

 _"She's perfect, Hinata. Just like her mother." Sasuke said with a smile and kissed her forehead._

 _"After what I went through, she better be." Hinata grumbled._

 _"Don't worry about it. Most first time mothers are even more aggressive. This is actually fairly mellow." The busty blonde assured him._

 _Sasuke blinked. This was MELLOW? Sheesh. It was a wonder any husbands survived their wife's deliveries._

 _"She is. She looks so much like you." Sasuke praised their daughter because it was true and he wasn't entirely certain that Hinata wasn't plotting his early demise._

 _"We should give our daughter a name." Hinata said as she began to calm down._

 _It was hard to stay mad when you had a beautiful newborn in your arms and your husband was lavishing said newborn with praise. Their daughter was really adorable._

 _She smiled at that. It had been worth it. (Though she would have preferred it, if Sasuke had gone through the pregnancy instead of her!)_

 _Sasuke smiled. It was definitely love at first sight. He couldn't really process that he had helped to create something so tiny and fucking adorable. (Adorable wasn't a word that he had ever really used before, but it was just so accurate in this case.)_

 _"Yumi. It means excellent beauty. It suits her. Just like you." He said and kissed the top of Hinata's head._

 _Hinata smiled. Sasuke was trying to butter her up. She knew this. Though she couldn't deny it was an effective tactic._

 _"Yumi Uchiha it is then." She replied as Tsunade wrote that on the birth certificate._

 _"I'll protect you both. This time is going to be different." He promised as he tickled his daughter's tummy._

 _He chuckled at the expression on Yumi's face. It was torn between annoyance that someone had interrupted her meal, giggling, and confusion. She really did have such expressive eyes._

Hinata sighs. Clearly, Sasuke thought he was protecting them from potential death here. She thought he was overreacting personally, but there wasn't really going to be any reasoning with him at the moment. Besides, she might be able to calm him down later and they could always return.

"Alright. I guess we are ready to go. Can we at least stop by my family's estate and tell them what is going on?" She asks.

Sasuke nods in agreement to that request. He was telling the Leaf where they were going anyway. If the Leaf attacked them for taking a transfer offer, that would destroy their reputation. The Leaf did enjoyed it's position as the "moral compass" of the ninja villages, despite the fact that the village as a whole did not deserve it.

"I don't mind. Come on, Yumi. We are going to see your grandfather and aunt." He tells her as he places his daughter in her stroller.

Yumi didn't understand a word of that, but she understood his tone. Daddy wasn't as mad anymore. She smiles when she's placed into a stroller and the couple head off with their newborn.

"Hinata, you can push the stroller. It's not right to make you lug the suitcase." Sasuke says.

Hinata was getting whiplash. One second he was the doting husband and father and the next she was worried he was going to destroy the Leaf. Hinata was frightened that he would kill the Council AGAIN and then he would go and say something like that.

"You are really confusing sometimes." She mumbles.

"I know, but we have to get out of here. If the Council is interfering with our communications, I wouldn't put anything past them. I just want you and Yumi to be safe. If I can accomplish that by going to another village, I'll do it. If I have to level the Leaf to the ground, then that's what I'll do." He says.

Hinata shivers. She knew that he absolutely meant that. It was strange. Sasuke was capable of being completely sane and insane at the same time. Well perhaps insanity wasn't the right word. There was a logic to his actions, even if they were frightening at times.

"Alright." She says and they head off towards the Hyuga Estate.

It didn't take them long to read it. Sasuke knocks on the door. One of the branch members blinks when he sees the small family. He looks at them in confusion.

"Is something wrong? Why are you carrying a suitcase?" The Hyuga man asks.

"Please just get Lord Hiashi. We need to speak with him at once." Sasuke says and the other ninja races off to do exactly that.

He knew Sauske well enough to realize that if he didn't, it wouldn't end well for him. How Hinata had ever managed to tame that demon was beyond his understanding. Still Ryo wanted to live to see another day, so he comes back with the Hyuga Patriarch a few minutes later.

"Sasuke, Hinata, what's wrong?" He demands in a voice filled with concern.

"The Council has been intercepting our letters with the Volcano Village. We don't know for how long. Sasuke thinks that means they are planning something. So for now we will go there until this gets straightened out. We wanted to tell you, so that you wouldn't worry." Hinata says in a rush.

Hiashi blinks. He certainly did not like the thought of his granddaughter going to some village that he knew very little about. Still he could see the determination in Sasuke's eyes. Unless someone actually managed to kill him, There would be no stopping him.

"I see. Well I'm certain that this can be resolved. I do appreciate you at least letting me see Yumi before you head off." He says and picks up his granddaughter, holding her closely to his chest.

"Of course. Hinata asked and I'm not that heartless." Sasuke mutters.

Hiashi smiles down at the girl. She really was going to be quite the beauty someday. She looked so innocent. Sometimes he wondered where Sasuke's genes were.

Well he could see the physical resemblance here and there. You might not guess that she was Sasuke's daughter if you didn't know right away. But once you did, you could see the similarities. The skin tone, the eye color, the ears, and things like that. Hinata's genes had always strongly asserted themselves. She was just such a precious little thing.

"You be a good girl for your mother and father. I'll see you soon." He says and kisses her forehead.

Yumi coos and smiles up at her grandfather. She knew this man. He wasn't the daddy or the mommy. But he was important somehow. He always picked her up and rocked her. So she liked him.

"HANABI! Come quickly and say good bye to your sister, your brother-in-law, and your niece." Hiashi bellows.

Hanabi comes out and looks confused. Why did she have to say goodbye to them? Where were they going?

"We are going to the Volcano Village until we can find out what the Council is up to. Hiashi can explain it to you later." Sasuke says simply.

The young Hyuga woman frowns. She nods and takes Yumi from her father. She smiles and rocks her. Her niece was so cute. Hanabi then gently places her back in the stroller and hugs her sister.

"I don't know what is going on, but promise me that you will stay safe?" She whispers.

"I will. Hopefully we will see each other again soon. I shall miss you. I'll write though. I promise." Hinata says with a smile.

Hanabi and Hiashi nod. Both of them seem to take some small measure of comfort in this declaration. They sigh and bid farewell to their loved ones as the Uchiha Clan departs for the Volcano Village.

A few days later, they arrive. Hinata stands next to Sasuke nervously as they head towards the largest building. They both thought that might be the Kag's office.

Yumi was too young to be scared. She looked around wide eyed in a curious fashion. She coos and giggles. She felt completely safe.

"I must admit that this is a surprised. I am Dai. I lead this village. I'm surprised you would arrive unannounced after not responding to our letters for so long." A man wearing Kage robes greets them.

"That was not our doing. It seems the new Council was intercepting our correspondence. They figured if we didn't hear from each other, that both parties would lose interest in the potential transfer." Sasuke explains.

Dai frowns. He never expected the new Council to be as devious as the last one. Unexpected, but perhaps he should have foreseen that outcome.

Oh well. No matter. Sasuke and Hinata were here now. It looked like his suspicions were correct. The reason that they had taken so long to decide was because Hinata had been pregnant.

"I see why you wanted time to mull everything over now. I assume this is your daughter?" He inquires.

"Yes, this is Yumi." Hinata says with a smile.

"Our pride and joy." Sasuke adds and the Kage nods.

The baby was rather cute. She certainly resembled both of her parents strongly. Her eyes were black though. Did that mean that she had inherited the Sharingan instead of the Byakugan or was the Byakugan just going to be a different color? Perhaps it would turn the trademark lavender of the Hyuga Clan when activated? That or an entirely new bloodline might be on the verge of manifesting itself.

"I can certainly see why. You must be exhausted from your travels. Come, I can set you up with a temporary apartment for now. We can arrange for more suitable long-term living quarters later. I must Lady Hinata, you recover quite quickly. I never would have suspected that you had a child only a few months ago." He muses.

Hinata felt her face heat up. She knew what he was trying to imply. Clearly, he meant it in a friendly fashion. Sasuke though was giving him a warning look. He was talking about the fact that she had already begun to lose her baby weight and was out and about as if nothing had happened.

"Thank you. Sasuke takes very good care of us." She informs him and Sasuke smiles, kissing her cheek.

"Always." The only male Uchiha says smugly.

"Of course. Follow me. We can discuss things more in the morning. I think a good night's sleep will do everyone a world of good." He says and leads them further into the village towards a district that seemed to be composed of mostly apartments.

"This is for those that are just visiting or have recently transferred mostly. It's generally considered adequate until they can fully settle in. Though some do stay." He offers and slides a key into one of the apartment doors.

He hands Sasuke the key. It had the number seven on it, which matched the number on the door. The Uchihas walk inside and look around.

Hinata smiles. Well it was cozy. This would do nicely for tonight. She smiles and sets Yumi's stroller by the couch, sitting down on it.

"It is very nice. Thank you. I'm so sorry about us not responding sooner. I should have suspected that they would pull something like this." He grumbles.

"Oh it is not your fault. It's good to hope for the best. Sometimes it just doesn't work out. I do hope that you and your family will be much happier here than you were in the Leaf." Dai says.

The bluenette was about to protest. They had been happy in the Leaf. Well until the Council cut off their communications with the other village. She decides not to though. The Volcano Village was generously letting them use their lodgings. It wouldn't do to insult their hosts.

"Thank you. We are still trying to figure out what happened." Hinata says tactfully in a mild defense of her home.

"Of course. Good night, my dear." He says and heads off.

"So what do you think?" Sasuke asks once the KasaiKage was out of earshot.

Hinata pauses. She wasn't really sure how to answer that question. Was he asking about the apartment or the village in general? Maybe he wanted to know what she thought about the Leaf? She couldn't tell.

"I think that it's all so confusing. I don't know what is going on, but we need to get to the bottom of this. Please don't lose your temper until we know what really happened. Oh and I have to feed Yumi." She says and picks up her daughter from the stroller before placing her in her arms.

"Alright. I won't go off halfcocked, but it is pretty obvious what happened." Sasuke mutters.

He watches as Hinata nurses Yumi. If the Leaf tried to take his second family away from him, he would reduce it to nothing more than ash. There would be nothing left of it by the time he was done.

Sasuke should have known the Leaf would never let him be happy. It never let his family be happy. It didn't matter which generation of Uchihas it was. All the way from Madara to Yumi. Not this time.

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions. That's a good girl. You're getting so big." Hinata smiles at Yumi and continues nursing her.

How the fuck could anyone threaten that woman and baby in her arms? They were the very picture of innocence. Sasuke could understand why the Council didn't trust him. That was just common sense, but THEM?!

" I think that we are crawling towards the conclusions, actually. Still you're right. She is. She's going to be hurling fireballs before you know it." He says with a smile and sits by his family.

It made his blood boil. He briefly pictures an actual volcano going off in the Leaf Village and destroying it. Of course, he would get Naruto and the other Hyugas out of there first. Hinata loved her family and Naruto was his best friend. But other than that he couldn't give a fuck less about that place. Well and he'd have to move his family's remains of course.

"Sasuke, she's only two months old. She's not going to be anywhere near ready to start throwing fireballs until she's ready to graduate the Academy at least." Hinata says with a giggle.

It irked him. So few people knew the truth about Itachi and the Leaf Village. The rest of the world truly believed that the Leaf Village was as symbol of all that was good. Ha.

It wasn't built on sunshine, rainbows, and fairy dust like it liked to pretend. No. It was built on secrets, lies, and blood. Lots of blood, especially that of his Clan. Fuck them.

"She's an Uchiha. I was throwing them when I was six. Itachi did it before that. I'm not going to push her into doing something that she isn't ready to do. But it's in her blood. I expect she'll inherit some sort of tea fetish from your side of the family though." He states with a smirk.

"Yumi, your father is being silly again." Hinata says and lightly swats Sasuke with a pillow.

Sasuke smirks. There really wasn't anything about Hinata that he didn't find either endearing or erotic. It was strange to know that he was actually capable of love this deep. Both romantic love for Hinata and familial love for their daughter. He was still getting used to it.

"Your mother is the silly one. She shouldn't underestimate you." Sasuke says and plays with Yumi's toes.

Yumi giggles and spits up a bit of milk while she does so. Hinata just shakes her head at Sasuke. She chides him gently, telling him that he could play with her when she was done eating.

"Alright. I wonder if I should unpack or not. It was implied we would be moved somewhere bigger soon. Maybe I'll just make the bed and crib up." He suggests.

"That's probably a good idea. You're right. We really don't know how long we are going to be staying in this apartment. There's not much of a point in unpacking everything, only to have to pick it up again almost immediately." Hinata agrees.

"Mhm." He agrees.

If they wanted to attack his family again, they would regret it. He had grown up in the Leaf Village. Unlike an outside enemy, he knew exactly where their strengths and weaknesses were. He knew where the evacuation tunnels were. Sasuke would make them pay.

He could only hope that his fury didn't show on his face or in his chakra. Sasuke didn't want to scare his wife and daughter. He just didn't know how Hinata could be so calm about this.

"I'll get started then." He adds and heads off to their room, taking out the crib fro the suite case and setting it up.

Setting up the crib gave him something to do. It required moderate focus. He as a legendary ninja. He wasn't really a handyman. Sasuke could put things together, if he had to. But was much better at destroying things than fixing them.

Vaguely, he wonders if his own father had ever had to do this. It briefly made him laugh. Sasuke couldn't imagine Fugaku Uchiha ever doing such a thing.

"He'll never get to see Yumi because of them." He mutters bitterly.

Mikoto, Fugaku, and Itachi Uchiha would never get to see their granddaughter/niece because of the Leaf Village. That was a bitter pill to swallow.

He might not be able to bring them back without using a Forbidden Jutsu, but he could protect his new family. He didn't care how much blood he had to get on his hands to do it. If he suspected even for a moment they were plotting against his family, they would suffer.


	22. Chapter 22

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you guys like this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Some darker Sasuke, a bit of silliness, and you get more of a glimpse into Yumi's personality.

 **Yumi's Perspective:** Itachi could graduated the Academy at seven. So I think it's reasonable to assume that Yumi's mental development would be advanced. She's two months old, but her thoughts are more like a three year old's. Hopefully that's not too unrealistic, but I figured it'd make for a more interesting read.

Chapter 22

The next day, Hiashi heads to Tsunade's office. He knew that it was likely that Hinata and Sasuke would have told her, but would feel better if he spoke to her. Something had to be done about this situation.

"Lady Hokage, do you have a few moments? I assure you that it is an urgent matter." He says softly after being let in.

"Yes, I do. Tell me what is troubling you?" The busty blonde asks.

Hiashi sighs. How could he possibly explain this? She seemed unexpectedly calm. That meant she probably didn't know yet. Tsunade had never been one to hide her feelings.

"Sasuke believes that the Council intercepted his family's communication with the Volcano Village. I'm not certain if this is true or not, but I do believe that he likely has valid reasons for suspecting it." He begins.

Tsunade's eyes widen. Oh that was not good news. No, that was not good news at all. She looks around in horror and was relieved to see that it didn't look like he had gone on a rampage. (Yet.)

"How long ago did he find this out?" She asks.

"Yesterday, he and Hinata already left for the Volcano Village. I assume they were going to let you know or perhaps he just assumed I would speak to you. I'd say they were going to write to you, he truly believes communications are being intercepted. So it's likely he just assumed I would tell you." The Hyuga Patriarch explains.

Tsunade sighs. She could feel a headache coming on. Oh boy. This was not going to be pretty by any stretch of the imagination. Why couldn't things ever be simple?

"I'll speak to the Council at once. Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. What are your impressions about his current temperament? How worried should we all be?" The Hokage inquires.

"Very worried. He was furious enough that his immediate reaction was to go to another village. Still I suppose we should have been relieved. His instinct was to flee with his family to safety. He might have no qualms about destroying the Leaf, but he's not going to endanger Hinata or Yumi. I wouldn't put it past him to double back, once he believes them to be safe in the other village though." Hiashi warns her.

The blonde woman gulps. Damn it! How could things have gone so wrong and so quickly? She was going to need to speak to the Council and Naruto. Naruto was really the only one who had a prayer of handling Sasuke in a rage.

"Very well. We must deal with the cards that we have been dealt. Rest assured, that I will be giving this matter my undivided attention. Is there anything else that I should know?" The medic asks.

"Sasuke may hold no love for this village, but Hinata and Yumi are his world. They are really your best hope at this point. I can't believe the Council would go behind your back like this. That's treasonous." Hiashi observes.

Tsunade sighs. Yes, it was. Still she knew why. At a bare minimum, two of the Leaf's most powerful bloodlines were now in a relatively unknown village. There might be a third bloodline in the making, now that Yumi was here. There was really no way to predict what that cute baby would be capable of in a few years.

"I know why they did it. They are going to regret this decision. I don't take kindly to being treated like a fool. It's a damn miracle that Sasuke didn't try to destroy this village, once he suspected that they meddled." She mutters in disgust.

Hiashi nods his head in agreement. He knew his son-in-law's temper. It was thanks only to Hinata and Yumi that the village was still standing in his opinion. Naruto would have tried to stop him and might even succeed. But in the process of the two titans fighting, the village would be leveled.

"I'm glad that you are now aware of the situation. I imagine that you have much work to do. I shall take my leave now, with your permission of course?" He inquires.

"Of course. Thank you, Hiashi." Tsunade says as she watches the Clan Head leave.

Oh boy. Tsunade shakes her head. She didn't even know where she was going to begin. She supposed that first she would have to speak with the Council. After all, she had to confirm that they were actually behind this. It was possible that they were just being framed.

Sasuke was an intelligent ninja, but even intelligent ninjas could be fooled. This was especially true when they already had good reason not to trust the people in question. One way or another, she would get to the bottom of this.

Meanwhile back in the Volcano Village, Sasuke had to wonder why this couldn't be simpler? In theory, this should be a relatively easy task. In reality, it was probably one of the hardest things that he had ever done.

Changing his daughter was a really annoying process. Oh he wasn't particularly squeamish. Sasuke wasn't an idiot. He knew that it took awhile to train children how to use the bathroom on their own and the young parents would be stuck doing this unpleasant task for awhile. He just really wished she would stop squirming so much. Then he could get the damn thing on her.

"Sasuke, I appreciate that you are trying. Really, I do. But I don't mind. Do you want me to do it?" Hinata asks her husband.

"I can handle it. Besides, you should be resting. You just had a baby." Sasuke replies.

"Yes, I did. Two months ago, not two days ago. I'm fine, Sasuke." Hinata says with a giggle.

Yumi copies her mother and also giggles. She coos happily and squirms. Daddy was being silly again. He did this game a lot for some reason. He'd try to catch her and she'd wiggle away.

"That's still no reason to overdo it." Sasuke says and kisses Hinata's cheek.

About ten minutes later, Sasuke felt rather victorious. Yumi was nice and clean now. Hinata smiles and picks her up, rocking her daughter.

"Sasuke, what are we going to do? You don't seriously expect us to stay here, do you?" Hinata asks.

"I don't see why not. Aoda has been monitoring this village for months. There doesn't seem to be anything suspicious happening. Besides, the Council was trying to stop us from transferring. That's more than a good enough reason to move. They don't want us to leave, Hinata. If they hadn't stopped the letters, who knows what they would have tried next?" Sasuke replies.

The young woman shivers. She knew exactly what Sasuke was implying. It wasn't exactly difficult to guess. He thought that the new Council would somehow arrange for their deaths. They'd never be allowed to leave, if they had their say.

Hinata wasn't certain if that was accurate, but it was a chilling thought. She looks down at her daughter and feels a surge of panic. An Uchiha or Hyuga baby was very valuable. Dead or alive, they were worth a fortune, if you could kidnap them or retrieve their body. A baby that had Hyuga AND Uchiha blood though? Yumi's body might be worth more than this entire village.

"You might have a point, but I'm hoping that this is all a misunderstanding. Maybe someone framed them." She suggests.

Sasuke gives her a look. It was a look that said, _"I know you don't actually believe that."_ He shakes his head and caresses her cheek.

"I'd like to believe that, but I don't. The Council took my family from me once. This new version isn't going to take my second family from me. I'm not going to let anything happen to either of you. I swear if I have to burn that Godforsaken village to the ground, I will do it." He promises.

"Sasuke! You can't do that! Naruto and my family are still there! Our friends live there! What about Kurenai?! What about all the children?!" Hinata demands horrified.

"We can easily get Naruto and Kurenai out of there. It would take some convincing, but I'm certain that we could evacuate your Clan. That is a good point about the kids though. I'd find a way to get them out of there first." Sasuke says with a shrug.

Hinata shivers. The most terrifying thing about what Sasuke said, is that she knew on some level he meant it. Sasuke wouldn't think twice about killing thousands of innocent people to "protect" them.

"I don't want you to destroy the Leaf Village. I don't want to be responsible for that much bloodshed. Please don't make me or Yumi live with that. How do you think she would feel, if she knew her father destroyed an entire village? A village her Clan helped to found?" The young wife tries to reason with him.

"If she's anything like you, she'll feel horrified. But at least she'll be safe!" Sasuke responds.

Hinata bit her lower lip. Sasuke was emphasizing if she was anything like HER. The implication of the reverse hung heavily in the air. Sasuke wouldn't feel guilty at all.

"And if she's more like you? How do you think she would feel?" His lover dares herself to ask.

"That it was justified. It's self-defense, Hinata. If it comes down to our family or that village, I know which I'm going to choose every time." He says without any hesitation.

Hinata walks over and kisses him. She didn't like seeing that side of her husband. She preferred her passionate lover and the doting father that she had come to know.

Hinata wasn't delusional. She was well aware that his moral compass was badly cracked, but it wasn't completely shattered. Sometimes she just liked to think that she had patched it. Comments like that showed her that she and Yumi were the exception, not the rule.

"I didn't mean to upset you." Sasuke whispers after returning the kiss.

He knew that he had. Hinata was a gentle person. The harsh realities of the world hadn't seemed to change her in the way that they had most people. The bluentte would probably show mercy to someone trying to slit her throat. That was just how she was.

"I know. You just view things differently than I do." She murmurs.

"I love you. You know that? But if I find out that the Council did it, I'm going to punish them. I'll just punish them in a more…appropriate way." Sasuke promises her.

"What do you mean by appropriate?" Hinata asks nervously.

Sauske kisses her forehead. He really wished that she didn't look so nervous. It made him feel guilty. Sometimes he felt like she was freshly fallen snow and he was ash that clung to her. Marring her purity.

"Nothing could ever be more damaging to that village than the truth getting out. I'll let everyone know the truth about Itachi." He says.

Hinata blinks. Whatever she had been expecting, that certainly wasn't it. He wanted to tell the truth about his brother?

"I could agree to that. It's not fair that his reputation is ruined, even after death. He did what he thought was right. His methods might have been wrong, but he wasn't a bad person. He was a good person who did bad things. In that way you are similar." She muses.

"Good." Sasuke says and holds her.

He rests his head on top of his wife's. Some days it was hard for him to believe that they were actually married. It was even harder to believe that Yumi was here. He wasn't going to let the Leaf take that away from him.

Sasuke might not agree with her assessment of him being a good person. He thought the opposite really. He was a bad person that did good things when it came to them.

"You should still get some rest. I'll watch Yumi." He offers.

"Sasuke, I am a ninja. I just had a baby. I'm not sick. I'm fine. Maybe by the time that we have our second child, you will realize that you don't need to be this overprotective." She says.

Sasuke smirks. That sounded promising. Second child. Hinata eeps when she saw that look on his face.

"I didn't mean that we were going to try to give her a brother or sister this second!" Hinata protests.

"Well of course not. I'd put her in her room first. I mean I'm not a complete deviant…" Sasuke reasons.

"Sasuke, you know that's not what I meant!" His wife exclaims and flails.

He chuckles and places a kiss to the back of her neck. It was endearing. Hinata STILL got flustered about intimacy. She still blushed when he touched her. She'd always be his shy kitten, he supposed.

"Well yes. Honestly, I figured that we would wait until Yumi is can use the restroom alone. Space them out a bit. Gives you time to recover." Sasuke reasons.

"Oh that was very generous of you." Hinata mutters in amusement and shakes her head.

"Yes, I thought so. I'm glad that you agree." Her husband replies with another smirk and slides his hands down to her shapely backside, in a far more intimate embrace.

Hinata felt her face heat up. She was definitely going to have to put her foot down at some point. That or she was going to end up with ten children. She loved Yumi with all her heart and wanted more kids, but she didn't really want to hit double digits. (How would they keep up with them all?)

"Mmm you are impossible sometimes." She whispers.

"I know, but you like it. If you didn't, Yumi wouldn't be here." He says smugly.

"I think that I've stroked your ego too much." Hinata observes with open amusement.

This was better. This was the side of her husband that she preferred. Maybe things would work out somehow. Hinata knew that things would become very awkward for the Leaf if the truth about Itachi was revealed, but at least the village would survive that. It was far less likely they'd survive a clash between Naruto and Sasuke.

"Well I do love it when you stroke my ego and other things." He teases her and Hinata blushes more.

It was fun to tease her. She made it too easy sometimes. He couldn't believe that a mother would blush over such things. Sasuke was just about to give her a real reason to blush, when there was a knock on the door.

He blinks and goes to answer it. It was Dai. He steps aside and lets the KasaiKage in.

"Good morning, Lord Dai. What brings you here this early?" Hinata asks politely.

"I thought it would be best, if I gave you both an official tour of the village. I'm certain that Aoda has given you a general overview, but I feel that seeing it in person is a little different than hearing about it secondhand." He offers.

Hinata nods. Well it was a nice offer. If they were going to be staying here awhile, it couldn't hurt to look around while they sorted everything out. She looks at Sasuke to get his opinion.

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll get Yumi's stroller." Sasuke says and he heads off to do exactly that.

"So how do you like the apartment?" Dai asks Hinata.

"Oh it's very nice. It was so generous of you to give us a place to stay. Honestly, we never intended to ignore your village. I hope that this is all a big misunderstanding." She says quickly.

Dai nods. He highly doubted that it was a misunderstanding though. Not when there were two or even three bloodlines in play. No, he had a damn good idea what was really going on.

"Got it." Sasuke says and he comes out with Yumi in the stroller.

"She truly is going to be a beauty. You are going to have your work cut out for you in a few years to protect her from the boys." He chuckles.

"Oh believe me, I know." Sasuke says with a firm nod.

The bluenette giggles. She almost pitied the unknown boys that might display a romantic interest in their daughter. Hinata would likely have to step in, if she ever wanted grandchildren.

"Shall we be off?" The Kage inquires and the Uchihas nod in agreement.

It didn't take long for them to leave the apartment and start walking around the village. It was a beautiful island. A semi tropical climate, that seemed to be just slightly warmer than the Leaf Village.

"What do you do when hurricanes hit?" Sasuke asks.

"Oh we have jutsus in place. A dome will form over the island and protect us. It's quite chakra intensive, but it serves its purpose. It wouldn't make much sense to have a village here, if we knew it was likely to get washed away." Dai explains.

Hinata nods. She had been wondering about that. Well that was a relief. She certainly wasn't eager to get stuck in the middle of a hurricane, especially not with a baby.

The new Mrs. Uchiha felt a bit self-conscious though. Everywhere they went they were being stared at. In the Leaf Village, people had begun to get used to seeing them together. That wasn't the case here though.

"Oh don't mind them. They've never seen an Uchiha or a Hyuga woman before. Though I suppose it's technically three Uchihas now?" The Kage inquires curiously.

"Yes, it is. Though I'm a Hyuga by birth and I was raised as a Hyuga. So to them…that's probably what I am." She replies.

Sasuke nods and places his hand on her back as they continue their walk. It was a simple gesture, but one that was very profound. There was no mistaking them for anything but a couple when he did that.

"Would you mind humoring them? They all want to see your daughter." Dai asks.

Sasuke looks at Hinata uncertainly. He wasn't really sure if his wife wanted a bunch of strangers to look at Yumi. She pauses, but then nods her head.

She understood that eventually, other people were going to want to see Yumi more. It wasn't like she could hide her away from the world. Besides, Yumi was like her father in a way. She definitely wasn't scared of strangers.

"Alright. Alright. You are all as subtle as a bull in a china shop. One or two of you can look at a time. Don't overwhelm the poor little thing." Dai says with a chuckle and immediately a couple of elderly women make a beeline for the stroller.

"Awe she's so adorable. She's definitely got her mother's hair." The first woman says.

"Her father's eyes though. Such happy little thing too!" The other comments.

Yumi blinks. She didn't know these women. Still they were using that silly voice that big people made when they were happy to see her. She coos at them and decides to bask in the attention.

There wasn't a reason to be afraid. Mommy and daddy were standing right by her. If these were bad big people, daddy wouldn't let them anywhere near her. (Mommy wouldn't either, but daddy was usually the one that kept people away from her, if he didn't like them.)

"Yes, we got lucky. She takes after Hinata." Sasuke says with a smile.

Hinata smiles and kisses Sasuke's cheek. She would never say this out loud, but it was cute to see him behave this way. He was very proud of Yumi.

She might not have been smiling, if she knew what was going on in her husband's head at the moment though. Yes, he was proud of Yumi. He was pleased to see her react so well to strangers and get praised. But there was another undercurrent to this thoughts.

Itachi would never get to see Yumi. He'd never get to see her because of the Leaf. The same Leaf that had turned his beloved older brother into the butcher of their Clan because they couldn't handle doing their own dirty work. He would avenge his brother though. The truth would take care of that.

"How old is she?" Asks the first woman.

She was probably in her sixties, Sasuke estimated. Long gray hair that looked like it might have been red at some point. She had chocolate brown eyes. He wasn't certain if she had been a ninja or not. A grandmotherly type.

"Two months." He replies automatically.

"Only two months and already so unafraid of strangers." The other woman muses.

Sasuke figured that this one was probably around seventy or so. She had short gray hair and clear blue eyes. There was a certain grace to her movements, despite her age. She had been a ninja at one point. Sasuke would bet his life on it.

"She definitely didn't get that from me." Hinata admits.

"Oh if you need some clothes for her, there is this store that sells the cutest things for newborns and young children. There was this dress in particular that would look adorable on her. I'm Mila by the way." The sixty something woman introduces herself.

"I'm Hinata. That's Sasuke. This is our daughter, Yumi. Nice to meet you Mila. We'll probably have a look at that store. It never hurts to have too many clothes. She's growing so fast." Hinata says with a smile.

Yumi perks up at the word _clothes._ She liked being dressed up. Mommy and she had lots of fun playing _dress up._

"It was such a pretty shade of pink too. I'm Kansa." The other woman adds.

The newborn makes a face at the word pink. Yuck. She didn't care for that color. Why did big things always try to give her pink things?! It made no sense. Hmpf.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. It was almost like his daughter understood what they were saying and she was expressing contempt for a color. Nah. That couldn't be it. She wasn't even a year old.

"We'll look into it." Sasuke agrees.

The two women bid them farewell. Sasuke and Hinata gracefully allow everyone to have a look. Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Yumi certainly was rather content to bask in the attention.

He'd never seen a baby that was less skittish. Sasuke wasn't sure if that was a cause for concern or pride at the moment. He decided that he would protect her either way. He was going to do that by ensuring the Leaf was knocked off its fucking pedestal.

"Your village is beautiful." Hinata says to Dai.

"Thank you. I do hope that all three of you grow to love it as much as we do. It may not be the biggest or the strongest yet, but it is home. That and one can't beat the view of the ocean." He says happily.

Hinata nods. Everything seemed to be settling down now. Maybe she could talk some sense into Sasuke and they'd go back to the Leaf eventually. That or they might stay here. It did seem like a nice village.


	23. Chapter 23

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Sorry this one is later than usual. I had a couple of busy days. I hope you all enjoy this chapter though.

Chapter 23

Yumi coos and hugs Mr. Fluffy as she watches her mother push her around the store. Mr. Fluffy was her stuffed rabbit. He was her favorite toy. Today, she was out shopping with mommy, while daddy made plans.

She was not certain what her daddy was planning, but she knew it was important. He had that look on his face. The one the big people made when they were thinking really hard.

"Hmm this should fit you and it's so cute." Hinata says with a smile as she shows Yumi a pink dress.

Yumi makes a face. Nooo! Not mommy too! Why did they all think she wanted to look like bubblegum?

"I guess you are like your father. You don't really like pink much." Hinata says with a giggle and shows her the blue version.

That was better. If she had been able to nod her head yet, she would have. Blue was better. That at least was a respectable color.

"Awe she's such a cute baby." Someone says.

"Thank you." Hinata replies with a smile as she places the outfit into the cart. They would have to try it on in one of the changing stalls later.

"Do you need any help finding anything?" The store worker asks.

Hinata shakes her head. No, not really. The store wasn't really that big, but it did have a wide selection. The young wife was glad that she was out shopping with Yumi. It took her mind off whatever Sasuke was planning. There was really no reasoning with him on this matter. He was Hell bent on punishing the Leaf for meddling in their lives.

"I think we can manage, but thank you." Hinata says.

"You're welcome. Let me know if you change your mind. I hope that I'm not too forward, but everyone is wondering. What's it like being married to him? Your husband has quite the reputation for being…" She trails off.

Hinata rubs the back of her head sheepishly. Had she been in a "normal" relationship, she might have found the question somewhat rude. Still she couldn't blame people for being curious. She knew exactly what the other woman meant.

"Wicked? Vicious? Ruthless and full of rage?" Hinata suggests helpfully.

"Well I was going to say a fearsome ninja, but…yes." She admits shyly.

The former Hyuga woman tries not to laugh. Well it was obvious that the store employee was at least trying to tactful. Apparently, she was now considered semi terrifying just by virtue of being married to Sasuke. It must have taken all of the other woman's courage to ask her this.

"He's different with us. Sasuke can be very kind and loving, when he wants to be." Hinata says.

Yumi gums on Mr. Fluffy's ears. She watches with mild interest as mommy talks to the other big person. Mommy didn't seem concerned, so she wasn't.

"Oh that's good. So it's a happy marriage then?" She asks.

"Mhm. A very happy marriage. He has a temper with everyone else, but never us." Hinata replies.

The worker nods a bit nervously at that. She really hoped that she would never be subjected to the Uchiha Patriarch's temper. That would likely result in her early demise.

"Would you like for me to get you a changing stall? So your daughter can try on her new outfit?" The other woman offers.

"That'd be nice." Hinata says with a smile and follows her.

Meanwhile Sasuke finishes having his mind probed in the Intelligence Unit of the Volcano Village. He hated to do it. Sasuke loathed letting anyone see the horrors that were inside his mind, unless he wanted to punish them. These people didn't deserve to be subjected to such things, but it was necessary.

"Are you certain this is what you wish to do? Do you know for a fact that it was the new Council behind this?" The KasaiKage inquires.

"I'm certain that this what I want to do. I'm not going to allow them to control my family. Besides, Itachi deserves to have his name cleared. I can at least give him that much." Sasuke reasons.

Dai nods. He wasn't entirely sure that this was a good idea. It could backfire in a spectacular fashion actually. Still he knew a losing battle when he saw one.

Fighting Sasuke on this decision, would be a losing battle. The Uchiha Patriarch had made his choice. There would be no turning back now.

"Very well. To put it simply, I had one of our ninjas enter your mind and record your memories of finding out the truth from Obito and your fight with Danzo. It will be displayed on this film as if it were a movie. No one can doubt the accuracy of it. This is all the proof that you will need." He assures him.

Sasuke nods in approval. Finally, Itachi's name would be cleared. That and the Leaf would be knocked off of its pedestal. Perhaps in a way, this was even better than destroying that village.

The Leaf could always rebuild itself. It had before. Really, it was the village's reputation and morale that made it a formidable force more than the buildings inside it. This would be a blow to both of those assets. A major blow.

"Sounds good." The raven haired ninja replies.

"What does Hinata think about this plan of yours?" The Kage asks.

"I don't think she's particularly happy about it, but she accepts it. I think in her mind, it's better to reveal the truth than to level that place to the ground." Sasuke mutters.

Dai nods. Well thank goodness that Sasuke had married someone with a calmer demeanor than him. Otherwise, he knew that the Leaf probably would have been crushed or damn near to it.

"Very well. I wish you luck. I do hope you understand why I can not go with you. I do not want to make a tense situation worse." He states.

"I understand. It doesn't matter. This is between me, my family, and the Leaf. I'm grateful for your help. It would have been my word against their perception of the Leaf as a "good village," otherwise." Sasuke observes.

That wouldn't have been enough. He would have had to ask Naruto to back his word. People had a very firm perception of what their home village was like. It was not an easy illusion to shatter.

Sasuke knew that the blonde would have done it. He would have backed him up. Still he didn't want to put Naruto through that. No, he hated the Leaf Village. But he didn't hate Naruto or the Hyuga Clan.

"Of course. Well I do wish you luck." The Kage offers.

"Thank you. I really should get back to our home. Hinata will likely be back with Yumi soon. I want to say goodbye before I leave." Sasuke says as he darts off.

The raven haired ninja gets home and waits. About an hour later, Hinata and Yumi come through the door. He smiles when he saw that Yumi was already proudly wearing her new dress. (Well as proudly as a baby could do anything really.)

"I take it you two enjoyed yourselves?" He asks dryly when he noticed Hinata carrying enough bags to clothe a village.

"Mhm. I guess I got a bit carried away. It's just that everything was so cute." She says sheepishly.

"It's fine. Besides, I'm sure that Yumi is very happy about all her new clothes. Hinata, I have the proof. I'm going to the Leaf. I want you to stay here with Yumi. I don't think they'd be dumb enough to attack me, but I'd rather have the two of you be here." Sasuke says as he caresses her cheek.

Hinata blinks. She knew that Sasuke was planning on telling the Leaf the truth about Itachi soon. She just didn't know it would be this soon.

The bluenette felt a surge of panic. She really didn't know what was going to happen. The only one that could really kill Sasuke was Naruto, but still he might end up battling most of the village. He could get hurt.

"Sasuke, I don't know if this is such a good idea. Isn't it better to let sleeping dogs be? I understand that you want everyone to know that your brother wasn't a villain, but things are going well for us." She says.

Sasuke sighs. He knew that logically, Hinata had a point. She really was such a smart kitten. Still he couldn't do it. He couldn't let the Leaf get away with this anymore.

"It's tempting, but I can't. This way the Leaf will think twice about ever attacking our family again. I'll be back soon. I promise." He says and kisses her forehead.

Hinata knew that it was fighting dirty, but she was going to try anyway. Maybe she could get him to change his mind. It wouldn't hurt to try.

"We're safe here. Besides, I would rather have you here with us than punishing the Leaf. I've missed you." She whispers.

"We're safe for now. They didn't want us to leave, Hinata. Do you really think that the Leaf is just going to leave us alone? It's never that easy. I know. I'd rather stay here as well, but this is for the good of our family. Wait. What do you mean that you've missed me? You've only been gone a few hours." He asks in confusion.

Hinata smiles. The young woman leans up and kisses Sasuke. She was sure that Sasuke would soon understand what she was saying.

Sasuke returns the kiss. Oh so THAT'S what she meant. Yeah, he missed being with her.

"I miss being with you. You've been really patient about letting me recover, but I didn't have any complications. Six weeks is considered a pretty standard recovery period. It's been a little over eight weeks. You won't hurt me." She whispers and places soft kisses along his neck.

"Mmm I miss you too." Sasuke sighs in pleasure and wraps his arms around his wife.

That definitely perked him up. He was by far the more aggressive of them when it came to indicating interest. Hinata was more than content to let him make the first move most of the time and she was highly receptive when he did. Sasuke didn't mind this, but it was nice when his shy kitten surprised him.

"I could lay Yumi down for a nap. She's had a very long day and is probably tired." Hinata suggests and nips his neck lightly.

"She probably should take a nap." Sasuke agrees and feels his eyes bleed red.

"Mhm. So just stay with us. Forget them." She continues.

Sasuke sighs. He couldn't believe he was actually going to turn down sex from his beautiful wife. God damn, did he hate that village!

"Can you hold that thought? I'll be back soon. I promise." Sasuke says.

"I can hold the thought, but wouldn't you prefer that I hold you?" She asks.

Sasuke blinks. That was shockingly bold coming from his innocent wife. Damn the Leaf to Hell. Damn them!

"I would MUCH prefer that, but you know why I am doing this. I am making sure that we are safe. I'll be back as soon as I can." He assures her.

Hinata sighs. Well she supposed n a way that it was sweet. It was sweet that her sex deprived husband would put their safety first over intimacy.

"Alright. Be careful though. I don't want to lose you." She says and kisses his cheek.

"You won't. Take good care of Yumi." He says as he looks down in the stroller and places a kiss on Yumi's forehead.

"You look beautiful in your new dress. Though you probably shouldn't chew on his ears like that." Sasuke notes with a chuckle.

Hinata giggles. Well Yumi wasn't actually chewing on Mr. Fluffy's ears, not technically. She didn't have any teeth yet.

"It's more like she's gumming or sucking on him than chewing. No teeth." Hinata points out.

"That's a good point." Sasuke says as he scoops up his daughter and takes her to her crib.

He smiles and lays her down. It still amazed him that he helped to create something so small and innocent. Yumi might look like him and share his hatred of the color pink, but she mostly took after her mother. Well at least she took after Hinata in temperament..

Idly, he muses that he might be jumping the gun a bit. Yumi was only two months old. It was still rather early. She might end up more like him.

Sasuke wasn't sure how to feel about that. Hinata was kind and good, but the world took advantage of those kinds of people. If she was like him, she might be able to anticipate threats better.

"Be a good girl for your mother." Sasuke says as he tucks her in and sets the stuffed bunny by her.

Yumi coos. She wasn't sure what daddy was up to. He didn't seem upset though. Big people could be strange sometimes. Who knew what sort of strange games they were playing?

Hinata follows Sasuke into Yumi's room. She looks at him uncertainly. Sasuke places a soft kiss on her lips and embraces her.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." He says and Hinata nods.

Her husband soon departs. Hinata looks down at her daughter and sighs. She could only hope that her father wasn't about to throw away everything that they had built together for revenge.

It didn't take Sasuke long to arrive back in the Leaf Village. He makes a beeline for Tsunade's office. The busty Hokage was clearly surprised to see him.

"Sasuke? What is gong on?" She demands.

"What's going on is that the Council intercepted our communications. They tried to control my family again. I'm not going to tolerate it. I demand an audience with them at once to sort this out." Sasuke seethes.

Tsunade blinks. It was just as Hiashi said then. The busty blonde frowns. She wasn't entirely certain that an audience would be a good idea. Still Sasuke had said sort this out. He hadn't said that he was going to murder them. Maybe Hinata had calmed him down a bit?

"Very well. Where is Hinata and Yumi?" She asks.

"That's none of your concern. This backstabbing village can just forget they exist. If your last name isn't Hyuga or Uzumaki, Hinata and Yumi no longer exist as far as you are concerned." He snaps at her.

Tsunade takes a step back as if struck. The amount of venom in his voice was more than a little startling. Perhaps she should have expected though.

"Sasuke, I helped to deliver that baby!" She reminds him.

"I'm aware of this and that's the main reason why you are still breathing. That and I don't have a desire to start a war, but I'm not going to let this village interfere with my family." Sasuke informs her.

The medic feels her blood chill at those words. Sasuke might not want a war at the moment, but it was rather clear that he could change his mind. She wished that Hinata and Yumi were here.

"Very well. I shall have them get into contact with you. Please wait at the Forest of Death. I assume you don't want to make this a public spectacle." She says.

"I'll meet them there." Sasuke says and he departs swiftly.

On the way, he sets up several cameras on the telephone poles. He casts a Genjutsu to hide them from the view of the public, before arriving in the Forest of Death. The Uchiha Patriarch quickly sets up more cameras on the trees and casts the same Genjutsu.

Unbeknownst to the Council, their entire conversation was going to be broadcast. So were his memories of his conversation with Obito and fight with Danzo. Finally, the truth would be revealed.

It didn't take the Council long to show. Unlike the last Council, these people didn't have one foot in the grave. Sasuke estimated they ranged from forty to around sixty years of age.

"Ah it is good to see you Sasuke. We were beginning to wonder what happen to you. Many people were worried." Maru says.

Maru was the eldest of them. Well at least that is what Sasuke thought. He had long gray hair and dark brown eyes. Maru had a medium build and was clearly the leader of the treacherous bunch.

Sasuke felt himself twitch. Ha. Did they honestly expect him to believe that they were sincerely worried for him? Just how dumb did they think he was?!

"You were beginning to worry that I would attack this village again, you mean. Let's not be coy." He continues.

"Sasuke, there is no need for such a hostile tone. I understand that your family did not have the best relationship with the former Council, but things are different now." Kana adds.

Kana was the youngest and the only woman. Her hair reached to her shoulders and was still brown, save for a few silver strands. The councilwoman's eyes were sapphire blue. She was a tiny thing. Perhaps she might even be labeled as pretty, but that didn't change the fact that she was a viper. Just like the rest of them.

The raven haired ninja felt white hot fury racing through his veins. Not the best relationship?! How dare they try to trivialize the genocide of his Clan?! Who did they think they were?!

"Oh there is every need for a hostile tone. The Volcano Village was offering me and my family citizenship. You illegally intercepted our communications." Sasuke bellows.

The Council wisely takes a few steps back. They all knew what he was capable of. They couldn't prove it, but most of them did believe that Sauske had a hand in the deaths of the previous Council. They had every reason to be wary.

"Yes, we did intercept the communications. The Leaf is your home. Your Clan helped to found this village. It would be unnatural for you to move your family to another. You can not blame us for wishing to keep the Sharingan and Byakugan bloodlines exclusively in the Leaf, can you?" Jiro inquires.

Jiro was the third councilmember. He was probably around fifty years of age. He was tall and broad shouldered. His eyes were chocolate brown and his hair had already turned completely gray. Sasuke supposed that he fancied himself to be a reasonable man. Ha. He was no better than the others.

"How dare you speak about my Clan as if you gave a damn about them?! I'm sure that you know the truth about the former Council. Yes, let's talk about them." Sasuke says with a cruel smirk.

At this point, the Council was considering fleeing. They dismiss the idea though. None of them had any hope of ever outrunning the demon standing before them.

"Sasuke, calm yourself. You have a daughter now to think about. If you loose your temper, she will be the one that suffers." Nao reminds him.

If the Uchiha's blood hadn't been boiling before, it was now. They had no right to EVER talk about his daughter. He should rip their fucking throats out right now!

Nao was the final member of the Council. He was of average height and had a round belly. He might have been a fearsome ninja once, but had let himself go after retirement. He had short black hair and blue eyes. He might look utterly unthreatening, but Sasuke knew the truth. That belly didn't make him any less dangerous than the other three.

" Oh I'm perfectly calm. Tell me do you feel proud of them? They were too cowardly to even do their own dirty work. The filthy murderers ordered my brother to wipe out our Clan! And all the while, no one else in the Leaf had a clue about what had really happened." He thunders at them.

This was getting bad. It was clear that he was rapidly spiraling out of control. Maybe they should make a break for it after all.

"Uchiha, stop this at once. That is in the past. It is an unfortunate reality, but there is nothing that can be done about it. Drudging it up, will not bring your family back to you." Kana.

"This village isolated my family for years. That isolation made the rest of the village distrust us. We were discriminated against. So my family finally had enough. They were plotting a coup. The previous Council found out about it and ordered my brother to destroy our family! They didn't have the guts to do it themselves. No, they turned a thirteen year old boy into a murderer." Sasuke hisses at them through gritted teeth.

His chakra was lashing around him. Sasuke could no longer completely suppress the rage he felt towards these cowards. They might not have ordered the genocide, but they would have done the same thing as the previous Council. He could see it in their eyes.

Jiro gestures for the other three to run. If they stayed, it was almost certain that they would die horrific deaths. If they ran and made it to the village, Sasuke might not attack them. He wouldn't want to start a war.

"He knew that even if our Clan was successful, it would weaken the village. The other villages would take advantage of this. It could have easily triggered another Great Ninja War. So Itachi killed our family to prevent that. He managed to convince the Leaf to spare me because I was so young." Sasuke hisses.

"That's correct. Itachi Uchiha chose the safety of the ninja war at large over most of your family. Hopefully, you can follow his example." Nao says.

Sasuke smirks. They had said it. Good. The cameras were rolling. The Leaf was going to know what had actually happened now.

"You turned him into a villain for the sins of this village. You tried to prevent me and my family from leaving this village peacefully. You and the previous Council are scum. I wonder what the village will think when they realize the truth. What will they do when they realize what sort of filth has been leading them?" Sasuke demands and he clicks a button of his controller.

That would play his memories. There would be no doubt. The entire village would now know what had been carried out in their name. He felt almost giddy at this.

Insanity was a very seductive emotion. It was so easy to give into the madness. Sasuke managed not to completely succumb to it. His goal was to hurt the Leaf's reputation and to salvage Itachi's. It wasn't the complete destruction of this village.

"They are never going to find out. If you tell them, no one is going to believe you. Your word isn't worth what it once was." Maru snaps at him.

"Oh they might not believe my word, but they'll believe yours. They'll believe the memories that are now being broadcast. Smile. Our entire conversation has been recorded. You see I placed cameras throughout the village and this forest. Everything you just said, is being aired to the public. The Genjutsu that I used to hide the cameras, has been dispelled." Sasuke informs them.

The Council gulps. Damn it. What were they going to do now? The truth was out. This was going to damage the Leaf's reputation in the international community and could very well lead to unrest inside the village.

"If I were you, I would start working on getting your story straight. That feeling that you feel right now, that helplessness? That's what I felt on the night that your friends took my family away from me. Don't cross me again. Next time, I won't play nearly as nice." Sasuke says as he teleports off.


	24. Chapter 24

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you enjoy the fallout ;)

 **Story Notation:** The next chapter will be the final one. It's your chance to weigh in. Would you like a light hearted epilogue or something darker? Regardless of flavor, the Uchiha family will still be together.

Chapter 24

"God damn him! We need to make an announcement. This is going to spiral out of control fast. Come on. We must go to the village square!" Manu decrees and the Council races off.

When they got there, they saw that the ninjas and civilians who had been there went the footage played were frozen in shock. They had all just been going about their daily business, out of nowhere cameras started rolling. Cameras that revealed a shocking truth.

"Do you think it's really true?" Tenten whispers to Ino.

"It has to be. I recognize that technique. He might be able to force the Council to say such things on camera, but those memories are real. Obito really did say that and Sasuke fought Danzo." The feisty blonde says in a stunned voice.

That's when the Council arrive. Only seconds later, their busty Hokage strides onto the scene. That's when the spell of shock was broken and everyone erupted in a roar of whispers and demanding questions.

"QUIET!" The medic bellows at the unruly crowd.

The crowd goes silent. Tsunade mentally sighs in relief. Well at least they hadn't completely lost it yet. There was still a chance to prevent this from turning into a complete disaster.

"You all have some explaining to do and it had better be good." She hisses at the Council.

Jiro gulps. He had no idea how they were going to get this under control. The truth was out there now and it wasn't pretty. Although they didn't order the massacre, they had interfered with the young family's attempt to transfer out of the village. It didn't look good.

"Everyone, please calm down. We can explain." Nao begins.

"Oh this ought to be good. I never liked Sasuke, but now I know why he's so messed up. The Leaf committed a genocide against his Clan. No wonder he didn't want to come back here." Kiba growls.

The canine lover tries to imagine positions being reversed. What if his sister had been forced to annihilate their entire family on the village's orders? He honestly didn't know what he'd do. He'd probably be trying to level the village.

Naruto watches in horror. He had always intended to clear Itachi's name. He just didn't think that it would happen like this. He knew one thing though, he had to drag Sasuke's ass back here. Maybe the bastard could keep this from turning into a bloodbath.

"The Uchihas were planning a coup. The threat had to be dealt with. So it was. It's unfortunate, but that is what happened. It was well before any of us sat on this Council. Throwing temper tantrums now will not bring back the dead." Kana reasons.

That was the wrong thing to say. The crowd starts shouting at her. That's when Naruto takes off. He really needed to get Sasuke's ass back here.

Thankfully, his chakra trail was still fresh. Naruto was able to track him down with ease. Sasuke wasn't exactly trying to be subtle.

"Bastard, get your ass back there and explain. You can't just drop bombshells like that on people and then leave!" Naruto thunders at him.

"Yes, I can. If the Leaf can order the massacre of my family, I can fuck with their heads. It's fun and they deserve it. I assume you saw the video. The Council tried to interfere with our transfer efforts. They were never going to stop trying to control my Clan. So I took action." Sasuke says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Naruto smacks his forehead in frustration. If Hinata and Yumi were here, he could talk some sense into his favorite bastard more easily. Couldn't Sasuke see that just ambushing people like that was wrong?

It was going to cause a panic. The Uchiha had to know that. Naruto could understand why Sasuke was angry, but this wasn't the solution.

"Sasuke, you probably just started a panic. You do remember that Hinata's family still lives in the Leaf, right? They are going to get caught up in the chaos. You have to turn back and fix this somehow." The blue eyed ninja pleads with him.

"I remember that the Hyugas live in the Leaf. I also remember that they are all formidable ninjas. If violence breaks out, I know they can handle themselves." Sasuke says with a shrug.

Naruto growls. He could feel his chakra start to lash out around him as he grew furious with his best friend. How could Sasuke talk so casually about this? There were seriously some screws loose in his friend's head.

"And how do you think Hinata will feel, if she realizes that some of her family got hurt because of what you did?" He demands.

Sasuke pauses. He hated to admit it, but Naruto had a point there. Damn it. Well at least now the truth had been revealed. Now everyone in that village would know that it wasn't the soil or buildings that were the foundation of the Leaf. It was blood.

"Fine. I guess I can talk to them. Their lucky that Hinata's family lives there or I wouldn't bother." He mutters.

"Bastard, you are seriously messed up. Don't you care about the chaos that you just caused? People could get hurt. People could die. This is all just a big joke to you, isn't it?" The blonde demands.

"Yes, it is. After everything that this village has done to me and my family, it's FUN to see them suffer. I enjoy it. Their suffering is only a tiny fraction of what I felt. They know NOTHING of the pain that my brother endured for them. So yes, I enjoy it." Sasuke informs him.

Naruto didn't know what to say to that. Perhaps it didn't matter. They had a village to save.

"If you don't want your wife and daughter angry at you for allowing their family to get hurt, I suggest you try to put out the fire you started." The blonde snaps at him.

"Fine." He mutters and returns to the Leaf with Naruto.

Sasuke smirks. He had never seen an unruly mob turn quiet so quickly before. His presence was noticed immediately. Everyone was watching with bated breath to see what he would do.

Tsunade eyes him warily. The Uchiha Patriarch had set up the cameras to expose the truth. She didn't know if him being here was a good thing or a bad thing. Though she did relax noticeably, when she realized he was walking with Naruto. Maybe things would get sorted out without blood shed after all.

Sasuke heads to the center of the square, with Naruto at his side. He couldn't believe that he was doing this. Why the fuck was he saving this village from chaos? Oh right. Hinata and Yumi.

"You all know the truth now. I have no intention of destroying this village. I have a family now and the Leaf isn't worth losing it over. However, now Itachi's name has been clear and you are all aware of what has been carried out in your name." Sasuke says.

"Sasuke." Naruto says warningly.

"As much as I loathe all the Councils, my intention was not to have those four killed. It was to bring the truth to light and to teach them a valuable lesson. If the Leaf interferes with my family, there WILL be consequences." He hisses and his eyes flash ruby red.

Naruto almost groans when Sasuke said that. He was supposed to calm them down. He wasn't supposed to rile them up. God damn it.

"What a drag. We'll all be lucky to get out of this alive." Shikamaru says with a sigh and Choji nods in agreement.

That's when Hinata and Yumi arrive. Yumi was being carried in her mother's arms and looks around. Why were the big people being so loud? What was going on?

"You brought a baby to a battlefield?!" Tenten asks.

"I don't think it's a battlefield. No one is actually fighting yet. Everyone is just being very loud." Hinata replies.

It was true. Everyone was being loud. There were roars of outrage, shock, and discussions being had. Truly, it was amazing that no blows had been exchanged yet, though some ninjas were heading towards the Council. It was obvious that their intention was to grab them.

Yumi cries. These people were so loud. It hurt her ears. She didn't like it. The infant lets out a wail and spits out fire straight at the Council building.

"…" Suddenly a stunned hush falls over the crowd.

Yumi giggles. That was better. It was nice and quiet now. She cuddles into her mother's bosom and yawns. Maybe she could finally have a nice nap.

"She really is your kid, bastard." Naruto muses.

"That's my girl." Sasuke says proudly and heads over to his family.

Kakashi blinks. He summons a water dragon to put out the fire. He couldn't believe that a baby had just released a fire jutsu of that size. Oh it paled in comparison against what her father could do, but she was just a baby.

The silver haired ninja couldn't help but think back to when Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto had just been Genin. It seemed like only yesterday. In reality, it had been years ago. That didn't matter though. The memory was still crystal clear.

 _"What? A Genin can't use fire jutsus. It takes too much chakra." Kakashi thought to himself in surprise as he managed to evade a rather large fireball._

 _Perhaps he should have expected it. The Uchihas were strongly associated with fire, but the kid was only twelve. He shouldn't have been able to do that yet._

 _"I guess I'm going to have to put down my book." He muttered to himself._

 _The day had passed by. The three person squad hadn't been able to get one of his bells. He tied Naruto up when he discovered the blonde had broken the rules and eaten._

 _When he got back, he saw that Sakura was feeding Naruto. Apparently, it had been Sasuke's idea. Kakashi felt proud of them when they said the three of them were one. Finally, someone had passed his test._

 _"You pass. It's true. Those who break the rules are scum. But those who would leave behind a friend, are worse than scum." He said with a smile on his face._

 _He did enjoy the joyous reaction from Naruto, the confused reaction from Sakura, and Sasuke's more muted happiness. He knew that he was definitely going to have his hands full with these three._

"Sasuke, your daughter is breathing fire before she even has any teeth. I wouldn't want to be in your sandals when she becomes a teenager." Kakashi muses.

Yumi pouts. She fusses a bit when she saw Kakashi was putting out her fire. No. She wanted her pretty fire. It was keeping people quiet. She spits out more fire and giggles.

"Hinata!" Kurenai calls out as she rushes over to her former student.

"Hello, Kurenai Sensei. I'm really sorry about all this. It's just Sasuke has a temper and I think Yumi thinks she's playing. Yumi, that's bad. Don't set buildings on fire." She admonishes her daughter.

Yumi blinks and looks up at Hinata with her huge bubble eyes? Bad? But it worked. It made the big people quiet. Why was mommy saying that was bad?

"Your mother is way too forgiving. You aren't being bad. Besides, that's the Council building. Those people are very bad and deserve it." Sasuke says with a smile and scoops his daughter up into his arms.

Yumi coos. Well daddy didn't seem mad. She supposed it was okay. She happily cuddles into her father and watches as some of the Leaf Ninjas try to put out the fire.

"She's beautiful, Hinata." Kurenai says.

"Thank you. Though I'm afraid that her father is teaching her some very bad habits. Sasuke, you shouldn't encourage her to set buildings on fire!" His wife chides him.

"Why not? Sometimes it's fun to be bad. Look at it this way, she set the building on fire. The Council should be grateful that it wasn't them she set on fire. God knows they deserve it." Sasuke says.

Hinata shakes her head. God help her, Sasuke was apparently PROUD that their daughter set a building on fire. Sasuke probably thought it was _cute_ or something.

"Sasuke." She says warningly.

"What? Kakashi is going to put it out anyway." He replies with a shrug.

That's when a bunch of ninjas started charging at the Council. The sounds of weapons and jutsus being thrown were heard. Even Sasuke's keen ears had a hard time distinguishing one battle cry from the next.

"You could have gotten us all killed!" Shino says as he commands and army of insects to swarm the Council members.

Tenten was also in a less than forgiving mood. The Weapons Mistress was hurling out dozens of kunais and some other weapons that Sasuke couldn't identify for the life of him. He blinks. That surprised him. He couldn't recall ever having spoken to her.

"What did you think was going to happen? Did you think that the Uchihas wouldn't notice that they weren't receiving any replies? You might have been trying to save our village, but you put us in even greater danger." She growls.

Naruto watches in horror. Ninjas were attacking the Council. Some were yelling at Tsunade. Most though were standing in confusion and trying to figure out what the fuck was going on. Many of the civilians had opted for that option or were doing their best to flee from the utter chaos.

"Sasuke!" He calls out.

Sasuke sighs. He was enjoying watching the carnage. He shakes is head and kisses Yumi's forehead. He gently places her in Hinata's arms and decides to nip this in the bud.

"ALRIGHT. This Council intercepted our communications. They wanted to prevent us from leaving peacefully. The previous Council condoned a genocide. Now you know exactly what kind of village you are serving. The dead are dead. The only thing that can be done now is to repair Itachi's reputation. I want his name on that damn Memorial Stone. If you are like me and sickened by this village, I'm certain that Dai would accept more transfers into the Volcano Village. But there is no need for this to cause a Civil War." He states.

Everyone was watching Sasuke like a hawk. He had never been the type to feel self-conscious before, but he was feeling it now. He glances back at Yumi and Hinata, smiling.

"There will be no war. I just wanted the truth to be revealed. We are leaving now." He says simply and walks over to his family.

Sakura was standing next to Tsunade. She had suspected that the scene would erupt into more violence than it had. So she wanted to protect her teacher.

She blinks when she saw that Sasuke had apparently stopped the violence. He, Hinata, and Yumi were just going to leave? Just like that?

"Sasuke?" She asks in confusion.

"It's over, Sakura. This village has caused enough bloodshed. I just wanted Itachi's name cleared and for the world to know what this place is really like. I got what I wanted. I'm leaving. We'll be back to visit the Hyugas and Naruto, but that's it." Sasuke clarifies and kisses his wife's cheek.

Hinata mentally breathes a sigh of relief. This easily could have spiraled out of control. It was nothing short of a miracle really that no one had died from this spectacle.

"I'm surprised that dickless had a kid." Sai says cheerfully.

Sasuke twitches. On second thought, maybe they could delay heading home for a few minutes. Hinata grabs his hand before Sasuke could lunge at the eccentric artist.

"It's just a nickname." She says with a smile.

"It's a stupid nickname. He's annoying. Would you mind confirming for my watered down replacement that it's also highly inaccurate?" Sasuke inquires as he glares at Sai.

"It's HIGHLY inaccurate. Sasuke, let's go home." She says after she hugs her father and sister.

Hiashi smiles down at Yumi. She was getting so big. He couldn't believe that the child could already hurl fireballs. She was definitely a prodigy in the making.

"She's so cute." Hanabi says with a giggle and tickles her niece's belly.

"She truly is a wonder. I can't believe that she is able to manifest chakra like that. She's not even able to speak yet and already using fire jutsus." The Hyuga Patriarch observes.

"Of course, she's a wonder. She's Hinata's daughter." Sasuke says proudly as Hinata quickly takes Yumi back into her arms.

The bluenette smiles. She knew that Sasuke was just buttering her up. Still she couldn't deny that it was a rather effective tactic.

"Let's go home." She whispers and Sasuke nods.

"Loser, can you handle this?" Sasuke asks as he gestures around at the village.

"Yeah. I got it. Thanks so much for making me clean up your mess. You are such a bastard sometimes. I don't know what Hinata sees in you." He grumbles.

Sasuke smirks. He was rather pleased to see that several booths and buildings were worse for wear. The Council was currently off trembling in the corner.

He walks over to them. The Uchiha Patriarch wanted to ensure that they understood the natural order of things. They were mice and he was the cat.

"I spared you because my wife doesn't enjoy needless bloodshed. I think you are all a waste of oxygen. So please do give me an excuse to end you and I will gladly take it. It won't be so easy to manipulate these people anymore. They know what you are really like now." Sasuke says as he walks off with his family.

A few days later, Sasuke was in Dai's office. He wanted to see what became of the Leaf after the truth was revealed. The eldest Uchiha also wanted to ensure that Itachi's name was on that stone.

"Our reports thus far have undedicated the Leaf did engrave Itachi's name into their Memorial Stone. The Leaf has also seen a ten percent decrease in mission requests from outside the village. It's not enough to cripple their economy, but they are feeling it." The KasaiKage informs him.

"Good. They deserve that and worse. They are rather fortunate that Hinata is so tender hearted. I wouldn't have shown them as much mercy if I didn't have Yumi and Hinata to think about." He mutters.

"You did the right thing. We have also seen a flood of transfer requests. Mostly from the Hyuga Clan in particular." He states.

Sasuke smirks. Good. If Hinata's family moved to the Volcano Village the only reason he would ever have to go back there would be to see Naruto. Hell, the eldest Uchiha was fairly certain that he could convince the blonde to visit him. So hopefully, he wouldn't have to travel back and forth much.

"Good. I probably should have asked first, but I doubt I'm the only one that is sickened by what really goes on in that village." He mutters.

"It's fine. I've just never seen so many transfer requests at once though." Dai replies.

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow then. I should probably head home and help Hinata put Yumi to bed." He says as he walks off.

He smiles when he enters his home a few minutes later. He could hear Yumi giggling about something. Sasuke follows the sound of his daughter's laugh and soon finds them.

"I take it that she likes her new nightgown." Sasuke says.

"Mhm. Yumi loves to play dress up." Hinata informs him and Sasuke nods, wrapping his arms around his wife.

"That's good. I know that I like it when you play dress up for me." Sasuke says with a smirk and places a kiss to the back of her neck.

Hinata smiles and leans back into Sasuke. The young Hyuga woman was just relieved that it seemed like things had worked out okay. Though she wasn't foolish enough to assume they would stay that way.

As much as she loved Sasuke, she realized that he was at his core a very damaged person. It was unlikely that he'd ever really feel safe. So he would be prone to lashing out to protect their family. Just like he did when he killed the previous Council. That thought scared her a little bit.

"I think you are just trying to seduce me, so that Yumi will have a brother or sister." Hinata muses.

"Well it's not JUST for that reason. I really do just adore seducing you, but yes that would be nice. Eventually, not today though. We should probably watch the fallout from the Leaf for a bit first." He muses and caresses the curve of her hip.

"Mmm so you just want to practice then?" She asks.

Sasuke smirks. Practicing could be very fun. He glances at Yumi. After a moment, he decides that the youngest Uchiha was tucked in and ready for bed. He scoops up Hinata in his arms Bridal Style and carries his wife off to their bedroom.

"You could say that. Besides, I did tell you to hold that thought." He says smugly as he lays her on the bed and quickly pins her.

"I feel as though I should be slightly insulted that you were able to resist my attempt to distract you." Hinata whispers and kisses him.

"It wasn't easy. It was very _**hard**_ actually." Sasuke assures her as he returns the kiss.

Her husband decided to prove just how hard it was to resist her. He brushes against her in a way that left very little room for doubt. Sasuke definitely wanted her.

"I can see that. You should have been a good boy and stayed here with us. You didn't need to cause trouble like that." Hinata says as she slowly pulls his shirt off of him.

"It's fun to be bad once in awhile though. Don't you agree, kitten?" Sasuke whispers hotly in her ear.

Hinata felt herself shiver. Alright, there was a certain seductive quality to his dark side. As long as she knew that he wasn't actually going to on an indiscriminate rampage, it was alright to enjoy his wickedness.

"Sometimes." She admits.

"I love you and you have no idea how much I missed this." He states as places several kisses along her neck.

"I love you too. I missed you too." Hinata says and sighs in contentment.

The rest of the night passed in a blur of heated moans and tangled limbs. Ninja stamina was a beautiful thing at times. Eventually they both collapsed into each other in a satisfied exhaustion and fall into a deep sleep.

By the time they had finally finished making lover, Yumi had settled herself down. At first, she was concerned when she hear mommy screaming daddy's name. But then she realized daddy was with mommy. So mommy was okay.

She goes back to gumming on Mr. Fluffy for awhile and then starts to doze off. Mommy and daddy must just be playing some weird big people game. That was all. Nothing to worry about. Daddy wouldn't let anything happen to her or mommy. She knew that much.


	25. Chapter 25

Wicked

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. This will be the final chapter of this story. Everyone wanted a darker epilogue, so that is what you will get. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Ninja dogs can usually talk. I'm not certain what their lifespans are, but I'm assuming they live longer than regular dogs. So you get a brief cameo of the Uchiha canines. Hinata's behavior may seem very unusual for her during one scene, but twenty years have passed. She is also protecting her family in her mind and giving them a more merciful death than Sasuke would have.

 **Future Stories:** I will likely be starting a new Sasuke x Hinata story tomorrow. At the moment, I am leaning towards my first modern story with this couple. If you have a plot bunny that you would like to request, now is the time to weigh in though ;)

Chapter 25

"Father, may I go play with him?" Yumi asks Sasuke.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. Yumi was now twenty years old. The young woman was a perfect blend of her parents. Most of the time, she was kind and gentle. The only exception was when it came to the Leaf Village. In that particular area, she had certainly inherited her father's sadism.

"I don't see why not. You do realize that Hiroshi is Naruto's son? He's going to be very stubborn. It will take a long time to bend his will." Sasuke informs his eldest daughter.

"Oh I know. That's what makes it fun." She says with a deceptively sweet smile.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He wasn't entirely certain, but he almost felt sorry for the boy. Hiroshi was Naruto's son. He was a year younger than Yumi and his name meant generous. The blonde certainly lived up to his name.

"He's Naruto's son. I'm not going to condone torture on him and you know that." He says warningly.

"Oh I'm not going to leave a mark on him. I just want to persuade him to see reason is all." His daughter replies "innocently."

"That means no physical or psychological scarring either. You can "reason" with him all you want, as long as you don't break your toy. Understood?" He asks.

Yumi nods. She kisses her father's cheek and bounds off. Sasuke just shakes his head.

"What are we going to do with her?" Hinata asks with a quiet laugh as she strides over to her husband.

"I think that she's in love with the loser's son in her own way. The manner in which she chooses to express that love is a little twisted, but I'm not exactly in a position to judge." Sasuke states with a smirk.

"Mhm. Well the Leaf Village has been completely overtaken. The most powerful ninjas have been restrained. We just have to figure out what to do with them." Hinata tells her husband.

Sasuke nods approvingly. Good. It served that treacherous village right after what they had done.

He sighs. For many years, the Volcano Village and Leaf had a rivalry of sorts. It was mostly friendly, though tensions lingered under the surface.

"How many casualties on our side and on theirs?" Sasuke asks Hinata as he kisses her cheek.

"We lost about a hundred. None of our children though. The Leaf lost about three hundred. It's a shame that it came to this. I hate to see all this bloodshed, but you were right. Even with Naruto there, that village will never leave our family alone." She sighs sadly.

Those who had stayed behind in the Leaf Village, resented the Volcano Village for "stealing" two of their Clans. The Hyugas had transferred shortly after the truth was revealed.

The natives and transfers of the Volcano Village viewed the Leaf with at best wariness and at worst outright contempt. They knew the truth behind the Uchiha Massacre and were not eager to be associated with a village that would order a genocide. So really, it was a recipe for disaster.

"We will hold a memorial service to honor the dead of course. As for the ninjas we captured, hmm. I guess it depends on the individual." Sasuke muses.

Naruto as Hokage had managed to keep the peace between the villages. That was until it became clear that some members of the Leaf had been plotting to "take back" the Clans from the Volcano Village. Not even Naruto could reason with Sasuke after that.

Oh the blonde had tried. Sasuke wouldn't have any of it. He wasn't going to allow the Leaf to interfere with his family again. Thus the war had started. It was a small mercy that the other ninja villages had decided to be neutral.

"That's true. I would prefer them to be spared an interrogated into our territories though." Hinata pleads with him.

None of them had known who to side with. The Leaf had saved the ninja world during the war with Madara. Still they had also tried to kidnap two Clans from another village. A village which hadn't attacked them. That made it difficult to side with them. So the other villages had opted to stay out of it.

"You are far too kind hearted for this world, sometimes. That would of course be ideal. Some of them will likely be stubborn though. Don't fret on it." Sasuke says and kisses her forehead.

"Water Dragon!" He hears someone cry out from outside their home.

Sasuke and Hinata blink and look outside the window. It was Itachi. Itachi was their second child and named after his uncle. The boy was 17 years old and his primary chakra nature was water.

Itachi was tall for his age. He had raven black hair like his father and it was styled like his uncle's had been. His eyes were the trademark lavender of the Hyuga Clan. He had Hinata's nose, but otherwise was the spitting image of Sasuke.

"I'll be right back, kitten. I'll go see what has gotten him so excited." Sasuke says as he shimmers off in a swirl of flames.

"Itachi, what is it?" Sasuke asks.

"Some prisoners were trying to escape." He answers simply.

"Well we can't have that, now can we?" Sasuke asks with a smirk as he heads inside the jail where Itachi's water dragon had shoved them.

Itachi nods in agreement. He was decidedly more scholarly than Yumi. Yumi was intelligent, but she was more a social creature than an academic. His temperament was far mellow than the rest of his family. Itachi was a tranquil person who preferred to focus on his work.

"No, we most certainly can not." The younger Uchiha agrees.

Sasuke and Itachi quickly restrain the handful of prisoners who had managed to get out. The father and son worked in complete unison. The task was accomplished quickly.

"Father, Kosuke is using Aoda as a slide again." Natsumi informs him.

Natsumi was their third child and second daughter. She had inherited her paternal grandmother's long silky black tresses. From her father, she had inherited his obsidian eyes and his ears. The rest of her face though was all Hinata. Her chakra nature was earth.

Her name meant summer. It was a fitting name because she had been born in the summer and because of her affinity. She was 13 years old.

"Thank you, Natsumi. I'll go check on him. Why don't you help your brother make sure the prisoners don't try to escape again?" He asks as he kisses his daughter's forehead and heads towards the door.

"Yes, father." She says and hurls a rose at one of the prisoners.

The rose worked as a dagger of sorts. It slammed into their hand and pinned them to the wall. Sasuke smirks. Natsumi was his flower child, he thinks to himself as he departs to find Kyosuke.

He soon found his youngest son. Kyosuke meant respectful and he was respectful to his family. Everyone else just had to deal with his mischief. Aoda though seemed more than content to indulge him.

Kyosuke had Hinata's blue hair and lavender eyes. He also had her skin tone, but otherwise he was a mini Sasuke in appearance. He was also a very hyper little thing.

"WEEEE!" He calls out as he slides down the mighty serpent's back.

"Kyosuke, you know that is dangerous to do without anyone watching you." Sasuke says as he catches his youngest child.

Sasuke had originally wanted more children. He loved all his children fiercely. Hinata had informed him in no uncertain terms that she wasn't going for double digits. The Uchiha Patriarch had tried to convince her to go for five, but decided four was enough after Kyosuke. He had enough energy for five children. It was amazing really.

"Awe. But dad, it's fun and everyone was busy with the prisoners." He pouts.

"We can always make time for you. Come on. Dinner should be ready by now." Sasuke says and sets him down.

"Can we stop by the candy shop on our way home?" Kyosuke asks hopefully and Sasuke shakes his head in amusement.

Kyosuke certainly loved his candy. All his children did to varying degrees. Hinata would kill him, if he let the boy gorge himself on candy. Still Sasuke couldn't help but indulge him.

"Alright. You can pick up some candy, but you can't eat it until AFTER dinner. You don't want your mother to get angry with us." He warns him.

Sasuke blinks. Kyosuke was gone in a flash. Damn that boy was fast. Sasuke chases after him.

Meanwhile back at the house, Hinata visits Naruto. She sighs when she sees him chained to the wall. She really wished that he would stop being so stubborn.

"Naruto, you know that we would let you go, if you just sign the agreement." Hinata says.

"Where is my son?! I can't believe that you would go along with this. Come on. We can fix this. Just let us go. We can all sign a peace treaty and things can go back to how they were before this mess ever happened." Naruto exclaims.

Hinata shakes her head. Hopefully, he would see reason and just sign the agreement. The agreement would annex the Leaf Village as a territory of the Volcano Village. Thus it would be under their control.

It was really the only way to keep another potential situation from arising. The Leaf would always meddle with the Uchiha Clan. Apparently, that was just its nature. As much as Hinata adored her friend, she knew that was the truth. There was nothing else that could be done about this unpleasant situation.

"We can fix it. You just have to sign the agreement. Hiroshi is fine. Yumi is checking on him right now actually. Naruto, I don't like doing this. I don't like keeping you prisoner. Please just sign it." HInata urges him.

Naruto's eyes narrow. Damn it. Hinata was too far gone. Clearly, Sasuke had brainwashed her to a certain extent.

"Hinata, this is fucking crazy and you know it." He growls.

"I know it's crazy. I also know it's the only way that I know of to protect my family. I'm not going to apologize for that." She snaps at him.

Meanwhile Yumi checks on Hiroshi. She smirks when she saw him gulp as soon as he noticed her. It was fun to play with him.

"Your father is still being difficult. I guess it runs in the family." She muses.

"Your village attacked ours. You're the stubborn ones. This all could have been avoided. I'm sure that something could have been done." He says.

Yumi smiles. It was cute. He really did believe in fairytales. How he could have such faith in the Leaf when he knew the truth about that village was beyond her.

She wasn't sure whether to admire his loyalty or to pity him. He was loyal to a village that didn't deserve any loyalty. Even with Naruto as Hokage, they had still conspired against them. No, the Leaf wasn't worthy of his devotion or anyone's really.

"That's adorable. You really think they would bargain in good faith? They went behind your father's back and were plotting to kidnap us. Why would we ever trust them to keep their word? They weren't even loyal to their own Kage." She asks as she caresses his cheek.

Hiroshi frowns. That was a good point. He wasn't really sure how to rebut that. He knew what she was doing though and he wasn't going to fall for it.

"It could have worked somehow. So is that what you were planning? I'm not falling for it. You want to seduce me, so I'll convince my father to assign the agreement." He says.

"That's somewhat accurate. I do want Naruto to sign the agreement, but that's not the only reason I want to seduce you. Besides, you are falling for it. Well at least a part of is." She purrs seductively into his ear and her hand brushes lightly against his pants.

Oh that was embarrassing. Hiroshi really wished that he was a woman at the moment and Yumi was a man. Then his arousal would be less…obvious. Damn it.

"You're evil. You know that, right?" He asks.

"Maybe, but sometimes it's fun being bad. You should try it once in awhile. Doesn't it get boring always being so…noble?" She inquires.

Several weeks pass. Sasuke decides to try talking to Naruto. Honestly, he wished the idiot would just sign the agreement. Then he wouldn't have to chain him up like that.

"Naruto, just sign it. Besides, you're not the only one suffering. Your son is also being held prisoner too. We haven't mistreated him, but I imagine he's going rather stir crazy by now. I never wanted it to come to this." Sasuke says.

"I swear to God, if you hurt my son, I will kill you. We were best friends, what the fuck happened?!" Naruto demands.

Sasuke sighs. He really didn't like how this had turned out. He wouldn't apologize though. The Uchiha Patriarch was simply doing what needed to be done.

"Oh Uncle Naruto said a bad word. Mother will be very mad." Kyosuke observes.

"Kyosuke! How did you get down here?!" Sasuke demands.

"Door wasn't locked. I wanted to see what was down here. No one lets me down here for some reason." The youngest Uchiha says.

Naruto finds himself laughing, despite everything. Who knew that Sasuke's kid would be so curious? He wished that the kidnapping attempt hadn't been plotted. Everything had been going so well and now everything was going to Hell.

"If I sign that agreement, I want your word as a ninja that the Leaf Villagers will be treated well." Naruto says seriously.

Little did they know that Kyosuke wasn't the only Uchiha child who was being nosey. Itachi had cloaked his siblings in a Genjutsu that made them invisible to those that didn't dispel it.

"Do you think he's really going to sign it?" Natsumi asks.

"It looks like it. Damn. I can't believe Kyosuke raced down the stairs like that. Well I can, but still." Itachi murmurs.

"This might me we can release Naruto, Temari, and Hiroshi." Yumi says with a smile.

Temari was Naruto's wife and Hioshi's mother. She had also been taken prisoner. Yes, everyone had been surprised when the two blondes had ended up together. Apparently, Temari and Shikamaru had broken it off.

"You have my word as a ninja that they will not be mistreated unless their actions are treasonous." Sasuke states.

Naruto sighs. That wasn't exactly reassuring, but it seemed like it was the best he was going to get. Besides, he couldn't help the Leaf villagers if he was chained to a wall.

"Alright. I'll sign the agreement." He mutters in disgust.

"Good. We'll have a ceremony of course. They won't accept it, if they don't' know that you did it." Sasuke reasons.

It didn't take long to organize the grand ceremony. The Uchiha family, Hiashi, Hanabi, and Uzumaki family were all on the stage. That included Yuki, her Mate, their puppies, and grand puppies. There were about two dozen ninja dogs either on that stage or milling about in the audience. The Leaf prisoners had been brought outside to witness the spectacle and the Volcano villagers were watching with baited breath.

"Today, the Volcano and Leaf Village will become one. Your Hokage and I have been in the midst of negotiations. He has agreed that the Leaf will be annexed by our village. This will cease all hostilities, providing that no further treason is taken. Of course, those that plotted the kidnapping, will be dealt with." Sasuke says.

"As it should be!" Yuki calls out.

"Arf! That's right!" Her Mate calls out in agreement and growls at the knowledge that someone had tried to kidnap their humans.

Hinata watches Sasuke give his speech. Sasuke might not be the most social person, but he did have a commanding presence. It saddened her that it had come to this, but she knew that it had to be done.

There were roars of protests from the Leaf Villagers. The Volcano Villagers glare at them and prepare to attack if necessary. Hinata decides to step in.

"STOP IT! There doesn't need to be anymore bloodshed. The only people who will be punished are those that plotted to kidnap my family. It is your choice now whether you wish to accept the annexation or die." Hinata thunders.

Everyone watches Hinata in shock. She was normally such a quiet and friendly woman. To see her bellow like that was disturbing.

"Exactly." Sasuke says and he shows the scroll that would combine the two villages to the crowd, handing it to Naruto.

Hiashi smiles and watches his daughter with pride. He always knew that she had it in her to control a crowd. She just needed to be properly motivated is all.

Naruto sighs. He takes out the large quill and signs the agreement. He couldn't believe that it had come to this. The Leaf was now part of the Volcano Village. This just wasn't right.

He knew Sasuke though. Sasuke wouldn't let this go. If he didn't sign it, it would be a bloodbath. All of the Leaf's best ninjas were currently prisoners and sitting ducks. It was this or a slaughter.

"There. It's done." He mutters.

"Good. One more thing and then we can put all this behind us." Sasuke says and gestures for the would be kidnappers to be brought out.

Hinata's eyes narrow. She walks over towards them and borrows her husband's sword. It had to be done. Sasuke wouldn't give a swift, merciful death to them. She had to do it. This would end today.

"Hinata?" He asks in confusion.

"I'll do it." The bluenette informs her husband.

Yumi covers Kyosuke's eyes. He was too young to witness an execution. Hiroshi sighs in relief when he noticed this. Yumi might talk a big game, but she wasn't half the villain she wanted to pretend to be.

"Awe! How come I never get to see the good stuff?!" Kyosuke whines.

"You are far too young to witness such things." Itachi informs him and pokes his forehead affectionately.

"Owe!" Kyosuke grumbles something about big people being mean.

Hinata shakes her head at the antics of her children. She strides over to the plotters. Her heart was pounding. She glances back at Sasuke and bites her lower lip.

She knew that he would do it, if she asked him to. Still she also knew how he would do it. His method of execution would be far more brutal than hers. She could at least give them a swift death. A merciful death might go a long way towards restoring the relations between Volcano and Leaf Villagers.

"You tried to kidnap my family. You interfered with the sovereignty of another village. You also went behind your Hokage's back to do both of those things. That is treason. You know what the penalty for such things is. Death. If you have any last words, say them now." She says in a soft voice that somehow everyone was still able to hear.

Sasuke watches her anxiously. Honestly, he didn't want his wife to be the one to make the kill. She was such a kind person that even killing people who deserved it, would weigh on her. Unfortunately, it looked like Hinata had made her decision.

"You're the treasonous ones! You left the Leaf. You waged a war against us. Now you have annexed our village into yours. You have brought much disgrace on both of your Clans!" One hisses at her.

He wouldn't dishonor her in public, by fighting her on it. That would only cause an unnecessary scene. It was important to project an image of a unified marriage.

One where they both acted as one entity. To do anything else, would be to display weakness. If the villagers perceived them as weak, they would take advantage of it.

"The Uchihas helped to found the Leaf and now they have destroyed it. It's no wonder that the Council ordered you all to be killed. You're all like mad dogs. They should have finished the job." Another snarls.

Sasuke felt his blood boil. He now had another reason to wish that Hinata hadn't decided to carry out the execution. They should die painfully and slowly. His wife would give them a quick death that they did not deserve.

"You used to be so innocent and sweet. I guess carrying a demon's seed will sully even an angel. We might die here today, but karma will get you eventually." The third snaps at her.

Hinata had never felt this way before. She had always dreaded having to kill, even when her life was on the line. Now though, she could see why Sasuke had been so easily swayed by revenge. It was a very seductive feeling.

"It's a pity that you wasted your last words. This is what happens when you plot against my family or this village." Hinata states as she swiftly stabs each of them through the heart, one by one.

Natsumi, Itachi, and Yumi all blink. It was hard for them to process that their kind and gentle mother had just killed three men like it was nothing. They knew that she was a powerful ninja, but she had always lacked their father's killer instinct.

"Let that be the last of the bloodshed. Today, is the start of a new era. Hopefully, it will be happier than the last." Hinata says to the stunned crowd.

Sasuke gestures for his family to follow him home. The Uchihas quickly do so. It seemed the show was over, as the Leaf Villagers were being unbound. The dogs take off after their human family, leaving behind the dazed Volcano and Leaf Villagers.

"Why don't you all get started on making dinner? Your mother and I need to talk about the annexation." Sasuke says to the younger Uchihas.

They didn't need to be told twice, even Kyosuke was old enough to know that something very significant had just happened. Sasuke smiles. They were good children.

"Hinata, you know that you didn't have to do that. I could have done it." Sasuke says softly and caresses her cheek.

"I know. But you would have given them a far more agonizing death. If the two villages are to become one, we do not need more bad blood between us. It scares me, but a part of me liked it. They made me so angry and I enjoyed killing them at the end. Does that make me a bad person?" She asks as she leans into his touch.

Sasuke sighs. He wraps his arms around his wife in a loving embrace. He quickly kisses the top of her head and pauses for a moment before answering.

"It doesn't make you a bad person. When you first approached me in the hospital, you were a kitten entering the lion's den. You came out a lioness. You were just protecting your cubs. It's the most natural thing in the world. They would have kidnapped us and held us against our will, Hinata. It was self-defense." Sasuke says.

"I guess you're right. There's a certain seductive quality to revenge and being wicked. I just don't want to become a monster." She whispers.

"You could never be a monster. Don't fret over any of that. Naruto, Temari, Hiroshi, and the other Leaf Villagers have been released. If we were monsters, we simply would have killed them while they were prisoners. We didn't. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Come kitten, the kids are making dinner. We don't want to keep them waiting." Sasuke informs her.

Hinata giggles. Their children did try to cook, but it clearly wasn't their area of expertise. At best, they might manage something edible. Though the kitchen would be a mess by the end of their cooking adventures.

"That's true." She says.

"Besides, admit it. It's fun to be bad sometimes." Sasuke says as he wraps his arm around her waist and they head off towards the kitchen.

"Yes, it is. That's why I saved a pair of the chakra cuffs from the prisoners for later." She says with a smile.

Sasuke smirks. That was more like it. He smiles and kisses her cheek as they walk into a very messy kitchen.

"That's my kitten and maybe we should just order takeout." He says with a dramatic sigh at the complete disaster area that was their kitchen.

There were cooking ingredients scattered everywhere. It didn't help that the kitchen also had a lot of puppies and dogs running about. Clearly, the ninja dogs had been trying to "help," the Uchihas make dinner and it hadn't gone so well.

"Yes, takeout sounds good." Hinata agrees with a giggle.

"Well it's the thought that counts. Nevermind. We are just going to order in tonight." Sasuke calls out to his children.

They all sigh in relief and race off towards their rooms. None of them wanted to be caught doing clean up duty. Sasuke merely shakes his head and orders the food.

Later that night, he and Hinata went to their room. They made GOOD use of those chakra cuffs. The Uchiha Clan might already be restored, but there was no reason why they couldn't have enjoy reenacting said restoration.


End file.
